On Monday, Feb. 3, Archie Williams girls varsity soccer challenged the Tamalpais High School Hawks for the Falcon’s senior night, and the last guaranteed game on their home turf. The harsh weather heavily affected gameplay, with strong wind gusts and rain causing trouble for both teams. Despite this, each side put up a strong fight, and the Falcons fought hard but fell short with a score of 1-2.
At the first whistle to start the game, Tam showed big attacks, chasing a strong start to the game. Archie Williams junior goalie Gigi Richer stopped Tam’s efforts, blocking many shots to keep the score 0-0. As the wind picked up even more, so did the Falcon’s intensity as they blocked more shots, and the Falcon’s offense generated some attacks on the opposing goal.
After several minutes of neither team advancing the ball, the Falcon’s offensive attack seemed to click, with multiple shots on goal from senior midfielder captains Mari Rode and Phoebe Morf. All three attempts were close, but the game remained scoreless until the Hawks broke through, scoring with just over six minutes left in the first half.
“I think the biggest weakness we had was balls from the air, and battling for 50-50 balls. We weren’t able to fully get them. We were putting our bodies into each other, and using our bodies to get the ball,“ Phoebe said.
As the second half started, Gigi sprung into action, saving two shots in the first five minutes. This encouraged the rest of the Falcons, as they orchestrated a long offensive possession, finishing with a goal from senior midfielder Juliana Weise, tying the score at 1-1. The energy from the goal amped up the Falcon bench, supporters, and the rest of the team even more
“Our biggest strength was definitely our energy, that we were supporting each other defensively,” said the Falcon’s head coach Pernille Kelm, “[We also were] stepping cleanly to the ball, and was being able to add high pressure.”
The strong conditions worsened, as the wind picked up, and a slight drizzle rose on the field. This disrupted both teams, and it became a defensive matchup once again. After exciting defensive and offensive battles in the cold weather, the Hawks broke through and scored again with two minutes left in the game, giving them a 2-1 lead.
“In the second half, the wind felt like it was really giving [Tam] all the strength and momentum, it was like we were going against something,” Mari said.
After the game, the team gathered in the student center for a senior night ceremony, including pictures and senior speeches from the younger players.
Despite the result, the 5-5-4 Falcons are looking ahead to their last MCAL game of the year, as they battle the 11-2-4 Redwood High School Giants at Redwood Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 3:15 p.m.
