Girls Soccer: 2–2 draw against Menlo-Atherton

“Finish.” After the girls varsity soccer team’s 2-2 draw against the Menlo-Atherton Bears on Thursday, the “finish” is a powerful motivator for the Lady Dons as they head into the final games of the season. Finishing attacks, finishing shots, finishing games, and most importantly, finishing the season.

With just two goals scored heading into their match with Menlo-Atherton, the Lady Dons jogged onto the field hungry to finish attacks with shots on goal.

Midway through the first half, the third goal came. Senior defender Jordan Lewis launched the ball over the heads of the defense and right into the path of senior forward Aislinn Oka. “I ran on and shot, it went off the keeper and I followed up and scored,” Oka says.

Though just one goal, it proved to be the spark the Lady Dons needed. “We had a slump the past four games, but this game we scored and the energy completely changed,” Oka adds. “Everyone had this belief that we could win and I just think everyone worked a lot harder because the goal brought belief.”

The Lady Dons rode their momentum into the half, keeping the Bears out of their goal, including a save off a free kick by sophomore keeper Jennifer Parker.

Parker started the second half right where she left off with a save in the first two minutes, holding the Bears without a score. Menlo-Atherton applied heavy pressure, controlling the ball in Aragon territory for nearly the entire first five minutes, including four shots in the first three minutes.

The Lady Dons’ ability to rebound was tested midway through the second half when a Menlo-Atherton free kick set up a score into the left side of the net by junior forward Amanda Wiseman. The Bears found the same side of the net minutes later when Menlo-Atherton sophomore midfielder Sarah McLeod sent a shot past the outstretched hands of Parker.

Unlike past games, the Lady Dons were not shutout. The same belief that came from the first goal continued. Oka adds, “It carried in even after they scored, and they scored again we still had the belief that we scored once, we can score again.” The belief turned into reality when sophomore striker Erica Martinez placed a ball to the left side of a diving keeper and scored.

The Lady Dons defense finished the game strong and continued to extinguish the aggressive Menlo-Atherton attack, including a diving save by Parker with seven and a half minutes left.

Though a draw, the Lady Dons tied the amount of goals scored all season in just one game against a top team. “It felt like a win,” says Oka.

Head Coach Nick Dye adds, “Today there was just something about them that said, ‘I’m not going to lose.’ There was no fear. And when you play without that fear and you have that mentality of wanting to win the game, good things happen. Today the mentality in front of goal was the same mentality across the field. It was ‘I’m going to make this happen.’”
Six games remain in the season that, if won, could propel the Dons into CCS. “Keep performing like this and results will come,” says Dye. “With momentum in our favor, you never know.”

The Dons (1-7-4) will square off at home against Woodside (10-2-2) this Tuesday at 3 p.m.