Late-game heroics forced a 1-1 draw to open Carlmont varsity boys soccer’s season in an intense back-and-forth matchup against the Mountain View Spartans.
Being the first game of the season, both coaches emphasized player development, which was particularly noticeable in the constant rotation of players for the opposing Spartans.
“Just being the first game, [the game plan] was to play everyone. I played all 21 guys trying to get them all in there. It was mostly about seeing guys play because I have 10 or 11 new guys I haven’t seen in-game,” said Jim McGuirk, the head coach of Mountain View varsity boys soccer.
The rotation of fresh legs brought on by both coaches kept the game highly competitive in the latter half of play. While the first half saw both offenses struggling to penetrate the defenses, junior right-winger Josh Lisi got the Scots on the scoreboard with a chip shot five minutes into the second half.
“I saw one of my teammates looking to put it in, so I backed up, and then after a bounce, I saw the goalie shift to the right, so I tried to pop it over his head, and I was lucky enough to get it in the top left corner,” Lisi said.
This goal deeply impressed Carlmont head coach Jose Caballero, who praised Lisi’s game awareness.
“I was really surprised, because usually, as a player, you take the shot. He just outsmarted the goalkeeper by making a little volley over his head, and that was awesome,” Caballero said.
However, the Scots’ lead was short-lived, as seven minutes after Lisi’s goal, Mountain View junior Luc Bortolato evened the score with a one-touch volley on a cross.
Throughout the rest of the match, key defensive plays by both sides kept the score tied at one a piece. One crucial moment was at the end of stoppage time, where Carlmont missed a penalty kick due to a clutch save by Spartans goalkeeper Parker Lunn.
“Lunn is a sophomore goalie and, for some reason, always seems to come up big in these moments. That was definitely a very exciting ending,” McGuirk said.
The game also featured the return of Carlmont junior Arshan Perwad from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. This brutal ACL injury is caused by sudden stops or changes in direction and can incapacitate athletes for months, sometimes requiring surgery. Perwad had his surgery in October of 2021.
“The recovery process was tough and sometimes painful, but you get used to it after a while. It can definitely be frustrating, but it feels great to finally be back on the school team and to be able to play soccer in general,” Perwad said.
This kind of resilience is particularly important to Caballero, who emphasizes the real-life lessons that the game of soccer can teach.
“We want to have integrity, character, and resilience. All those qualities they will need in life, and we want them to ingrain themselves with that personal growth and allow them to live a productive life. That’s what it’s all about,” Caballero said.
The Scots will continue their season on Nov. 30, where they will go on the road to face Menlo School in another non-league matchup.
