The Bears lost 3-2 to the Sequoia Ravens in an exhilarating match on Tuesday evening.
The Ravens began with possession, but were immediately met with fierce defense, led by freshman left back Grace Wagner. Still, the Ravens were able to squeeze past the Bears and score off a breakaway, giving them an early lead just two minutes into the game.
M-A struggled to regain their footing offensively, with passes being intercepted repeatedly. However, senior midfielders Samantha Ruiz and Alex Alvarado were able to connect with senior center back Ella Mohr, who nailed a powerful shot to the center of the goal. Sadly, the ball ended up in the hands of the Ravens’ goalkeeper.
The Bears did not let up, and senior forwards Elise Koo and Mae Kunihiro made several strong efforts offensively by pushing the ball upfield and placing immense pressure on Sequoia’s defense. Even so, a mishandle by the Bears gave the Ravens an open net, allowing them to score with 24 minutes left in the half, making it 2-0.
Determined to close the gap, the Bears remained in possession by handling the ball with precision. Sophomore goalkeeper Adeleine Soltys remained rock solid in goal, moving forward to garner a critical block against a Sequoia breakaway.
Senior forward Toma Tasovac built crucial offensive momentum through a series of clean interceptions and shot attempts. Despite the strong efforts, M-A could not find the back of the net, and they found themselves trailing 2-0 as the half came to a close.
“I think that we could have started stronger overall with better communication so that we could all be on the same page and play cohesively,” junior outside back Juliana Pandolfo said.
After a disappointing first half, the Bears sought to regroup and came out with aggression offensively, which immediately exhausted Sequoia. Senior center back June Wagner led the charge on defense, consistently making solid interceptions. Soon after, senior center midfielder Samantha Ruiz took a corner kick, and Mohr’s precise positioning allowed her to head the ball into the bottom of the goal, putting the Bears on the board 2-1.
The Ravens attempted to come back offensively, but were quickly smothered by M-A’s intense defensive pressure. Pandolfo and Kunihiro strategically surrounded Sequoia, preventing them from advancing the ball. Soltys continued to dominate in goal, and her signature scrapiness blocked two consecutive attempts by the Ravens. Working off this momentum, Alvarado skillfully maneuvered past multiple Sequoia defenders, nailing a shot to the middle of the net and tying the match, 2-2, with five minutes left.
Tensions reached an all-time high, with both teams desperate to score. The Bears fought tirelessly, but Sequoia narrowly snagged a goal with two minutes left. Unfortunately, M-A was unable to respond, and the match ended in a 3-2 loss for the Bears.
“[For the next game] we want to finish more shots on frame, even if it’s a bad pass, and also take our time and not rush,” G. Wagner said.
“We’re going to start off with intensity and communication for our next game against Aragon,” freshman right back Emma Holtz said.
The Bears will face the Aragon Dons away on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
