Varsity Boys Soccer defeated Wilcox High School 3-2 on Friday, Jan. 26. The game started with WHS scoring the first goal, but after halftime, MVHS returned stronger and won the game 3-2 through a series of good passes and a long-range goal. Coach Pancho Tzankov attributed the team’s comeback largely to junior and striker Royce Tse’s goal.
“We had an amazing goal from our top striker Royce,” Pancho said. “This kind of shot is very, very unique and a super skilled shot. It was incredible.”
After Tse’s goal, the tide of the game turned. WHS struggled to score throughout the second half, as the team became increasingly worn out on defense. Toward the end of the game, a WHS player fouled an MVHS player in the penalty box, allowing MVHS a penalty kick.
Sophomore and wing Aadit Singh converted the penalty, breaking the tie and bringing the score to 3-2. With only a few minutes left in the game, WHS was unable to recover, giving MVHS the win. Although Singh says his mind was clear when making the shot, he recognized the pressure to score.
“There was a lot of pressure on me in the last five minutes because the score was 2-2,” Singh said. “I had to score that. If I didn’t, that would be on me.”
Freshman and left wing Lewly Tzankov’s favorite part of the game was when Singh scored the penalty kick. Although he believed his own performance could have been better, he was satisfied with the team’s win.
“We just came in here to just have fun and win,” Lewly said. “Everyone was here just to put that ball in the net and we did that.”
Reflecting on the team’s recent successes, such as tying with Los Gatos High School — an undefeated team — on Wednesday, Jan. 24, Pancho is proud of the team’s performance. He says that the team has put in considerable effort to secure the win against WHS.
“Today we showed we are probably the best team in the league right now,” Pancho said. “They were dreaming about this and working very hard in the rain over Christmas break. They were very focused, very disciplined the whole game, doing exactly what they trained to do. I’m very proud that they learned a lot this season.”
