The girls soccer team battled the Carlmont Scots in a tight 1-0 victory on Tuesday night. Before kickoff, the team honored its 10 seniors with short speeches as their friends and families walked them down an aisle formed by their teammates.
“[The seniors are the] heart of this team, and we’re going to miss them so much next year. I truly can’t imagine the team without them,” sophomore midfielder Anika Hansen said.
Alvarado walks through the field with her family. 
Senior Ella Mohr walks with her family. 
Koo walks down the field alongside friends and family. 
J. Wagner walks down field with siblings and parents. 
Bradley walks down the field with her family. 
Kunihiro walks down field with family and friend. 
Senior Toma Tasovac walks through the field with her family. 
Mahadevan walks down the field with her family. 
Ruiz walks through the field surrounded by her family. 
Hartwig smiles as she walks down the field with her family.
M-A started off on the offensive despite heavy rain, with senior defender Alessandra Hartwig* applying early pressure and pushing play into Carlmont’s half. The Scots quickly responded with an early attack, but sophomore goalkeeper Adeleine Soltys came up with a strong save to keep the game scoreless. Senior midfielder Elise Koo then helped shift the momentum, driving the ball downfield and forcing Carlmont into their own territory as M-A lurked close to the goal, waiting for their chance to strike.
Carlmont struggled to connect passes under heavy pressure from the Bears’ midfield and back line. That intensity paid off when a breakthrough came on a loose ball, and senior defender June Wagner capitalized on the moment by stepping in and driving a low shot past the Scots keeper to give M-A a 1-0 lead 22 minutes into the game. The goal sparked a stretch of fast-paced play, with both teams trading possession but finding limited shot opportunities.
Swarming ball pressure from senior midfielder Maddie Bradley repeatedly forced mistakes from the Scots defenders, while Koo generated another dangerous push that earned M-A a corner kick. Senior midfielder Sammy Ruiz created multiple powerful attempts, and senior forward Alex Alvarado redirected play with a well-placed header into the midfield to restart the attack.
Carlmont continued to struggle building out of the back as M-A’s defense expertly cut off passing lanes. J. Wagner remained active on both sides of the field, disrupting Carlmont’s offense and playing strong defense. Junior midfielder Ella Badawi drew a foul to give M-A a promising opportunity, but the Bears were unable to convert. Later, an interception by Alvarado and a pass to Bradley led to another Carlmont foul.
Later in the half, M-A nearly added to their lead with a shot that sailed just high over the crossbar with a little over three minutes left in the half. Koo followed with a sharp cross-shot from the side that forced a quality save from the Carlmont goalkeeper. Senior defender Lila Mahadevan and senior defender Ella Mohr added key defensive stops, and Soltys blocked a dangerous cross with under two minutes remaining. An offside call on M-A closed out the half with the Bears ahead 1-0.
The Bears’ defense remained on point to open the second half. Ruiz thwarted any advances from the Scots attackers, and Mahadevan executed a series of well-timed interceptions and blocks. Working off this momentum, Alvarado nailed a deep pass to Koo, who smoothly maneuvered her way upfield, but Carlmont’s defense was able to halt Koo’s breakaway.
Soon after, the Scots found themselves up against the M-A goal, but scrappy defense from Alvarado prevented any scoring opportunities. Carlmont then attempted a shot from the corner, but they were unable to make it past Soltys, who secured the ball to her chest and returned possession to the Bears. However, M-A was unable to take full control, and a back-and-forth ensued, with neither team able to make any solid attempts.
Finally, strong handling by freshman defender Grace Wagner successfully moved the Bears towards a scoring position. Sophomore forward Cassidy Thomas found herself in possession, but a scuffle with the Scots’ goalkeeper prevented her from putting the ball away, keeping the score at 1-0 with 14 minutes left in the match.
Intensity ramped up as the game came to a close, with the Scots desperately trying to even the score. They had multiple openings, but Soltys remained rock solid in the net, preventing any last-minute goals. The Bears’ defense remained on point for the rest of the match, and M-A took home the 1-0 win against the number one team in PAL.
“It just means so much to come out with the win on senior night,” Kunihiro said. “A lot of us have been playing together for four years, and we’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.”
“This was our hardest competition in the league, and we knew that since we tied them last game, but we came out strong as ever and we won,” Ruiz said.
The Bears will face Woodside Thursday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
*Alessandra Hartwig is a journalist for the M-A Chronicle.
