On Tuesday, March 5, the Archie Williams girls varsity lacrosse team lost to the Sonoma Valley Dragons in their first home game of the season. It was a close matchup, with Archie Williams claiming the lead after an impressive comeback in the third quarter, but the Falcons’ focus ultimately slipped in the fourth quarter. The Dragons pulled ahead in the last 10 minutes of the game, and the Falcons lost 5-9.
The game began with an intense face-off between the two teams. Possession fluctuated, and the Dragons attempted several shots that junior goalie Ashira Kim-Price successfully defended. Ashira blocked a total of nine goals throughout the game, including four in the first quarter.
“It was the saves on goal [that] were my proud moment. When our goalie, Ashira, came up big and saved a couple [of] shots that looked like they could have gone in, that was really helpful,” said head coach Ted Hellman.
Although the Falcons put up a strong defensive fight, the first quarter ended with the Dragons leading the game 0-2. Both teams displayed strong defense moving into the second quarter and only scored once each. The Falcons scored a last-minute goal, boosting their spirits heading into halftime. The first half ended 1-3 with the Dragons maintaining the lead.
The Falcons came into the second half fired up. Senior team captains attacker Kyra Featherstone and midfielder Isabelle Connolly scored a combined total of three unanswered goals. Senior team captain and midfielder Audrey Poster contributed significantly to the Falcons’ offense by controlling the ball and finding open cutters. Archie Williams ended the third quarter with a tied score of 4-4.
“We had one quarter where we scored [three] goals, which is really good, especially because we were down, and we were able to get back up, get the lead, [and] get the confidence going,” Audrey said.
During the fourth quarter, Sonoma Valley beat the Falcons’ defenders and scored a total of five goals, while the Falcons only scored once. The Falcons’ defense could not withstand the offensive pressure from the Dragons and lost the game 5-9.
Although the outcome of the game was not in the Falcons’ favor, they have high expectations for the season and the team moving forward. The Falcons will play two away games next week: on March 12 against Windsor High School, and their first MCAL league game at Tamalpais High School on March 14.
“We’re going to lock down and practice, get better at holding the ball, and come out firing next week against Windsor and then against Tam on Thursday for our first league game,” Hellman said.
