Despite falling behind early, girls’ varsity soccer fought for a 2-2 draw against Aragon High School on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Strong performances from key players, including several underclassmen, and consistent hard work and motivation have helped the Panthers put up a respectable 1-2-2 record in league play.
The Dons scored a goal seven minutes into the contest and added another with 22 minutes left in the first half. Head coach Andrew Flaherty attributed the early deficit to a lack of anticipation early on in the game.
“That part wasn’t really there early, so they got a little bit flustered and out of sorts, and then a couple mistakes lead to a goal,” Flaherty said.
However, with just nine minutes left in the first half, junior midfielder Mika Haggarty scored the Panther’s first goal with an assist from sophomore center forward and wing Hannah Goldberg.
Freshman outside-midfielder Giulia Monteverdi believed the team’s determination and drive allowed them to combat Aragon’s early push and remain in the game, even after giving up multiple goals.
“At the beginning, we kind of weren’t ready, but then throughout [the first half] we worked really hard and were able to get a goal in,” Monteverdi said. “I think everybody works really hard together. In the attacking third, we definitely work really hard, specifically in that area to get the ball in the goal.”
Monteverdi said the Dons’ quickness created problems for Burlingame’s defense in the first half.
“They were very quick, and they played a lot of long balls over our heads,” Monteverdi said. “We kind of tried to rush back and I think that we didn’t let them through a lot, because we kind of saw it coming a lot.”
The Panthers had a strong second half, coming back from their 2-1 deficit against the Dons to score another goal. With 25 minutes remaining, Goldberg put in the Panther’s second goal to tie the game 2-2.
“In the second half, we really just worked that much harder and [were] able to tie the game,” Monteverdi said.
Flaherty believes the Panthers’ offensive strategy and hard work on the field led to the tying goal.
“There’s no magic button that we play, and this is about problem solving,” Flaherty said. “The fact that they’re able to solve the two-nothing problem and slowly get back and give ourselves chances and opportunities was good for us.”
Flaherty also praised the effort of players such as Goldberg, Haggarty, junior midfielder Gaelle Foy and junior goalkeeper Ellora Horan, but he also highlighted freshman performances from Monteverdi and Ella Vuong.
“[Goldberg] had a good game. I think she got in several times and had some opportunities and scored a goal which was good,” Flaherty said. “[Haggarty and Foy] held it down for us defensively…[Horan] had a couple big saves. [Monteverdi] recovered and played a much better second half…and having [Vuong] play in a key spot like [a defensive player] is a big responsibility for her, and so far she’s been up to the task,” Flaherty said.
With two minutes left of the game, the Dons had two opportunities for corner kicks. The Panthers have struggled defending corner kicks this season, but kept the game tied with strong, pivotal defense.
Flaherty felt that the Panthers could have played better, but still exuded constant effort through the ebbs and flows of the game.
“It’s a game that we said we wanted to get a result. We needed to get points, the tie is okay,” Flaherty said. “It’s a game that we felt like we could have won, so in that sense I think we had enough opportunities and options where we felt like we had it, but the point was still important for us.”
With only a few games left in the season, the Panthers will look to continue working and playing hard.
“[We just got to] try to get the ball in the goal and practice like we play,” Monteverdi said.
