Senior Holly Matsunami dribbles the ball down the sideline while junior Sarah Im runs along side her for support. The Matadors won their rematch with DMHS 3-1. Photo by Alaina Lui
After intercepting a pass, senior Katie Byrne had to make a quick decision. Dribbling across the field, with three opponents surrounding her, she spotted senior Holly Matsunami further up. Matsunami received Byrne’s pass and drove down the sideline, connecting with junior Sarah Im. The forwards raced down the field with the midfielders following as they pursued the play, looking to support Im. The first penetrative effort into the defense was met with tough resistance, but on Im’s second effort she drove in MVHS’ first goal, giving the Matadors the lead.On Oct. 26, MVHS met the Dons for a rematch, having won the first match on Oct. 3. The Matadors started off the game with a goal in the middle of the first half to set the tone of the game, showing a quick-striking offense. A DMHS midfielder drove the ball downfield, catching the MVHS defense off guard. The element of surprise allowed them to get into a 2 on 1 situation; when goalie senior Megan Jones had to come out from the goal, a DMHS player sneaked in behind her past the defenders, scoring their first goal.With the score at 1-1, MVHS strengthened their defense, which led to a scoreless DMHS for the rest of the first half. The defenders also caused the Dons to rethink their strategy regarding passing, as they isolated many DMHS players for one-on-one plays. In these tough situations, the Matadors muscled DMHS off the ball for more possession time. In a key defensive play, senior Cindy Jung broke up a pass on a DMHS fastbreak, averting a potential goal, and cleared it out to sophomore Arushi Agarawala to preserve the tied score.“Along with talking, we had really great passes,” junior Amanda Fong said.
The Matadors broke the tied game when sophomore Melissa Foster soon scored another goal with an assist from Bryne after several consecutive short corners. This goal held off the Dons for the rest of the first half, and the ball continued to be controlled by the Matadors.
In the start of the second half, the Dons were able to have more time and possession with the ball, causing tension in the game as they began to play more aggressively.
Jones held the DMHS offense to a standstill by stopping many attempted goals made by the Dons with much effort. Her efforts bought the Matadors time to regroup and push back on offense without losing the lead.
“[Head coach Denise] Eachus was just telling us how we had the most passes we’ve had all season, so we were passing really well,” Adams said.
Nearing the end of the game, junior Alexis Page set the ball up promptly and quickly passed the ball to the middle where Bryne was waiting. As parents in the stands gasped, Bryne swung hard earning a goal for MVHS.
This whole play was done in flawless execution that allowed MVHS to put away the game. The Matadors left with a 3-1 finish. The Matadors’ next home game will be determined by the outcomes of the other league games on Nov. 3 (C.C.S. playoff games start Nov. 8).
