Following their senior night ceremony, the Carlmont varsity boys soccer team defeated the Sequoia Ravens with a score of 1-0 on Friday, Feb. 9. The Scots outdueled the Ravens in a close match, finishing second in their league and earning a spot in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
“The team was really hyped as it was senior night, and all of our seniors were honored to play in what could have been their last game,” said sophomore Jayden Lee.
The game started slowly, and neither team could maintain possession of the ball. The Scots crossed the ball multiple times yet failed to convert the chances. Both coaches continued to encourage their teams, but the score remained 0-0 at halftime.
“We weren’t playing our best soccer in the first half, so coach Freeman switched our formation to 3-5-2 for the second half. It worked well,” Lee said.
The second half began, and the battle between the Ravens and Scots kept the crowd on their toes.
Nine minutes in, senior Evan Swanson played a long pass to senior striker Kotaro Kikuchi. Kikuchi shot the ball but hit the crossbar, and the Scots failed to capitalize on the opportunity.
“We came out of the half with grit and determination to win for the seniors. We were more physical and clinical with the ball, which allowed us to create numerous chances,” said junior Calvin Wooll.
For most of the second half, the Scots maintained possession and worked on finding the wingers behind the Ravens defense.
On the other hand, the Ravens tried to play through balls to create chances, but defenders Swanson and Sean Kelly managed to stop them. The Scots and Ravens went back and forth trying to score, but the score remained 0-0.
Head coach Ryan Freeman substituted throughout the half, putting fresh legs on the field. They switched the points of attack to move the ball away from pressure.
Moments after a well-defended counterattack by the Scots, senior Arshan Perward found Kikuchi open with a lot of space, who then dribbled and played the ball to Alexander Menchtchikov. Menchtchikov took a shot on goal, but the Ravens goalkeeper managed to save it.
“We had trouble scoring for most of the game, and we will clean that up,” Lee said.
Fifteen minutes before the end of the game, junior Noah Franklin threw the ball into the 18-yard box. Winger Josh Lisi shot the ball into the goal, giving the Scots a 1-0 lead late in the match.
The crowd yelled and encouraged the Scots to play hard and finish the match strong. The Scots played defensively to make sure the Ravens did not score and held the lead until the final whistle.
The win granted the Scots a spot in the CCS playoffs, where they will continue the season.
“I hope to cap off the year by being PAL champions,” Freeman said.
