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Menlo School women’s soccer coach Ross Ireland said he told the team at the beginning of the season that their first goal was to win the West Bay Athletic League Foothill Division title.
That means a ten-game schedule, including two against rivals Sacred Heart Prep.
Ireland wants to treat the Gators game like any other, but he knows it’s a simple idea.
“All of these games are important,” Ireland said. “But this is more than just a game.”
The two schools, less than a mile apart, hosted SHP Tuesday for the first time this season, featuring two of the hottest teams in the Central Coast section. After a slow start, the SHP won games in a row heading into the showdown, but Menlo won eight of the first ten games.
Both have started WBAL Foothill play and have won two, with the winner of Tuesday’s match leading the Foothill standings.
The Knights scored nine goals in 11 games after scoring two goals in the first half and fending off a strong Gators reaction in the second half to win 2-1.
“Wow,” Ireland asked about the game.
It was a result that frustrated SHP head coach Ramiro Arendondo. Menlo (3-0 WBAL Foothills, he’s 9-1-1 overall) had a better possession part, but where the Knights had possession of the ball mattered. Most of the first half was played on the SHP side of the field and it was that constant pressure that resulted in both Menlo goals.
“I had a bit of a slow start,” said Arendondo. “[The Knights] did what they had to do. “
The SHP (2-1, 5-5-1) had their first real scoring chance when the Gators won a free kick in the 11th minute along the right sideline about 30 yards from goal. bottom. Courtney Carpenter sent a cross into the penalty box and Anna Bassett hit it with a volley, but Menlo goalkeeper Sam Sellers was there to save and fell to her left.
From there, the Knights began to systematically drive the Gators deeper into their cause.
In the 17th minute, Menlo took the lead. After winning the ball in the Gators’ end, Christa Areola sent a pass to Sasha Bernthal, who sent a cross down the middle of the field to Angelica Chou, who was positioned at the top of the box.
After scoring the ball with a touch, Chow sent a looping shot over the defense and just under the crossbar to give the Knights a 1–0 lead.
Seven minutes later, the Gators doubled their lead as they scored a free kick along the left-flank line about 30 yards from goal. Center back Tabitha Corcoran stepped up and found the ‘V’ on the far right to take a 2–0 lead.
In the final 10 minutes of the first half, the Gators got up on their front foot and started putting pressure on the Knights defense.
It didn’t create many dangerous chances, but set the tone for a goal for the Gators in the opening minutes of the second half.
45 minutes, SHP score. Lewa White, who scored his kick free near the left sideline, sent a cross into his box for Menlo’s penalty.
And all hell broke loose. Menlo’s Sellers made the save but gave up the rebound. As she tried to dive loose on her ball, SHP’s Molly Her Tinsley slammed into the goal and vaulted Sellers but landed on her lower leg, at which point she screamed to the ground. I stayed.
Tinsley persisted in the play and headed for goal, only to see Menlo’s Audrey Hostetler go off the goal line. SHP’s Sydney Adas had a headache with it, but it went almost straight into the air.
Luckily for the Gators, Megan Sweeney was there and she finally made it home, halving Menlo’s lead.
But attention was quickly turned to Sellers, who was treated on the ground before being taken to hospital, Ireland said.
The game was delayed for about ten minutes before Menlo’s backup Bianca Putanek took over goalkeeping duties.
But the freshman was up to the task. When she saved SHP’s free-kick, she was on the attack almost immediately.
Putanek finished with four saves in the final 35 minutes to keep the win.
The Gators continued to push for the equalizer, but Menlo began to ease the pressure in midfield with Chow controlling the Knights offense.
My sophomore year was my first season on the Knights football team and I played basketball as a freshman. She was the best player on the field, so it was clear that football would be her main sport, she nearly iced the game in her 63rd minute, running from the center of the field and 25 yards out on the left edge. shot from the post of
It was the last and best chance the Knights held out for victory.
“We did our best in terms of possession and opportunism,” Ireland said. “But we didn’t let the game sleep.”
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