On Tuesday, Jan. 16, the Archie Williams girls varsity soccer faced off against Terra Linda High School on the Archie Williams field. The Falcons fought through the rain but ultimately fell to the Trojans 1-3.
After two previous defeats against Branson and Marin Catholic, the Falcons came ready to tackle the Trojans. However, the Trojans presented a formidable challenge, efficiently executing shots off setpieces that proved to be obstacles for the Falcons.
Senior Sammy Gerner highlighted the team’s adaptability to varying conditions.
“We actually train in the rain a lot, so it’s not that much of a difference aside from the ball moving faster. But I feel like our team is pretty good at changing based on conditions,” Sammy said.
Throughout the first half, the Falcons demonstrated offensive power by taking numerous shots on goal. Junior Phoebe Morf started the game by scoring a long opening goal putting the Falcons into the lead 1-0. The Trojans countered with a goal off of a corner kick to end the half with the score tied 1-1.
Despite consistent pressure from the Trojan offense, junior goalie Belen Hitchcock made crucial saves including a diving save on the right post of the goal.
The Trojans had a strong performance in the second half, securing two set piece goals. Their opening goal of the half was a well-placed free kick that landed at the top part of the goal. Shortly thereafter, Terra Linda solidified their lead by capitalizing on a corner kick to increase their lead to a comfortable 1-3.
“They didn’t break us down defensively at any point. Just every single goal was some minor mistake off of set pieces,” Sammy said. “I’d rather that be the case because that’s an easy fix and can be fixed with practice and effort, rather than actually having to change our defensive formation.”
Head coach Jimmy Conrad has high ambitions for how the team can grow off this loss, stating the importance of staying positive and bouncing back. The Falcons are hopeful for their next game against San Marin on Thursday, Jan. 18. The Mustangs and Falcons get ready to take off at the San Marin field at 6 p.m.
“We have the choice. We can feel sorry for ourselves, we can put our heads down, we can blame others, or we can see it as a chance to actually take it and not feel this pain anymore and make sure that we come out in a positive way. That would make me proud of this group,” Conrad said.
