The Carlmont boys varsity soccer team lost after an intense match against Hillsdale as a player snuck in a shot past Carlmont’s goalie in the last 10 minutes of the game.
This game was both Carlmont and Hillsdale’s fourth Peninsula Athletic League (PAC) game this season. Carlmont entered with a winning streak, and Hillsdale entered with a losing streak, but Hillsdale was able to outplay Carlmont despite their lower status in the league.
“Hillsdale played the game that they wanted to, and it worked out for them. Our boys played hard and aggressive, but we didn’t connect quite enough passes and create enough opportunities for shots. Hillsdale also only had a few shots, but the difference is that they were able to put one in,” said Chris Zaino, Carlmont’s assistant coach .
The first three quarters of the game was a close battle between the two teams, with the ball continuously
Ryan Yang, a sophomore, prepares to shoot the ball across the field to one of his teammates.
flying across the field and almost going into the goals of both sides. Carlmont had three close shots at the goal that almost went in, yet Hillsdale’s goalie caught all of them mid-air.
“We started kinda slow, definitely slower than we have been, and I feel like we’re forcing long balls, and they’re just not there. Hillsdale is towards the bottom of the table, but they’re playing really well today,” said Patrik Dufault-Geleziunas, a senior.
Alongside the issues brought up by Dufault-Geleziunas, Carlmont’s team was also missing many of its star players.
“A lot of our starters have been out for a while, including one of our captains, Luke Hendriksen, who just got a concussion last Friday. Missing a lot of our best players makes it a bit harder on us, but we’re doing well considering that we have men down,” said Dylan Roskind, a junior.
Despite the game being a bit of a disappointment for Carlmont, Hillsdale’s coach, Manny Pliego, was thrilled by their team’s first league victory.
Team members Atheesh Durairaj and Christopher Fromm watch intently as their teammates struggle to keep the ball from Hillsdale’s players.
“I’m very proud of these guys. We ran six or seven sophomores and three seniors, so a very young team, and they’ve been building their skills, which they showed off today. Our finishing and aggressiveness in the final third were there today where it wasn’t in the past few games,” Pliego said.
This game is the fourth out of 16 league games, so there are many more opportunities for Carlmont to learn from this game and continue the winning streak they previously held.
“All the games we have played so far are very competitive. No one team is dominating another score-wise. Some other schools have dominated the league in the past, but this year we have the mindset that we can get first place,” said Jose Caballero, Carlmont’s head coach.
