On Dec. 7, the Archie Williams girls varsity soccer team could not triumph over the Miramonte Matadors. The Falcons fell 1-2 on the Archie Williams football field which came down to the final seconds.
To kick off the first half, the Falcons struggled to get the ball out of their defensive half. However, led by junior goalie Belen Hitchcock, the Falcons held the Matadors scoreless through the first 35 minutes. Strong communication from Belen, as well as defensive players senior Tessa Miller and junior Ava DeCuman, proved pivotal in the Falcons’ defense and held the Matadors scoreless for multiple possessions.
“I think we had excellent communication and our distribution from the back line was good. We were connected this game which was a super positive progression from the last game,” Belen said.
As the clock was winding down in the first half, the Matadors scored on a second-chance shot after a strong first save from Belen. The Falcons ended the half down 0-1.
As the whistle blew for the second half, the Falcons knew they had to score first and tie the game back up. Junior Mari Rode piloted the Falcons’ second-half comeback with multiple shots on goal, coming ever so close to finding the back of the net. After five minutes of offensive pressure from the Falcons, Ava found the back of the net off a corner kick that she headed in.
“I thought we came out with the right attitude and the right mentality [in the second half],” head coach Jimmy Conrad said.
The rest of the second half was a battle between the Falcons and Matadors, with the score tied at 1-1. The Matadors capitalized on a last second chance to take the lead on the Falcons with under two minutes left in the game. Time expired with the Falcons on the losing end of the scoreboard, 1-2.
“We had the right mentality in this game. Miramonte is one of the best teams in the area and they regularly compete for the North Coast Section (NCS),” Conrad said.
The Falcons will continue their search for their first win of the season on Dec. 12 against Rancho Cotate. In a late night game under the lights of Rancho Cotate’s home field, Mari and the Falcons are confident in coming away with a victory.
“Even though we lost this game, we are going to use it to fuel us in the next game and I think our attitude in the next game is going to be great,” Mari said.
