Carlmont’s varsity girls soccer team approached their game against the Terra Nova Tigers with a considerable winning streak. The odds were seemingly in the Scots’ favor, defeating the El Camino Wildcats 7-0 two days prior.
Within the first ten minutes, Terra Nova freshman Shellsea Gutierrez fouled Carlmont freshman Kaylee Kim; then Tigers sophomore Madison Donati kicked off the scores with their first and only point.
Although the Scots had a slightly higher win percentage, the odds were close after the Tigers’ 4-0 win against the Half Moon Bay Cougars on Jan. 18.
Senior Maya Blodgett contributed many of the Scots’ points, being the first to follow Donati, driving across the halfway line, and shooting the ball past the penalty area. Senior Maddie Cunningham scored Carlmont’s second goal with less than four minutes remaining in the first half.
“They scored their second goal of the first half on a defensive mistake as we left a player wide open on the outside. I was okay with a 2-1 halftime score,” said David Downing, head coach of Terra Nova.
As the sky grew darker, the game escalated in the second half.
Groups of players headbutted the ball from one person to the next, clustering around the center circle as the ball meandered on the halfway line.
“The first half was back and forth, but we definitely picked it up in the second half and brought our intensity. Our second half has tended to be stronger than the first. I’m looking forward to CCS,” Blodgett said.
After gathering themselves in the halftime break, players returned to the field. The teams fought for the ball during the first four minutes, and sophomore Emily Gehrlein-Allen scored the second half’s first goal. With 36 minutes left, enthusiasm arose among the teams and the crowd.
Blodgett scored a closely guarded goal with 30 minutes remaining, celebrating with several teammates as they jogged towards the halfway line. Blodgett advanced the scoreboard with the Scots’ final point three minutes later, ending with 5-1.
“Going into this game, Terra Nova has matched our league records 3-0, and I knew this was going to be more of a battle versus other teams in the league. The goal was to start strong, and we adjusted well in the second half,” said Jillian Quan, head coach of the Scots.
According to Quan, despite the Scots’ consistent wins, they still need to clean up their possession and reduce turnovers. They will have a chance to demonstrate these goals for their next game against the Cougars on Jan. 25. As for the Tigers, their next game will be against the South San Francisco Warriors on the same day.
For Terra Nova, Downing aims to tighten their defense and take better control of the game, impending a win against the Scots later on.
“We need to play hard in each upcoming game and hope that when we meet them again later in the year, we have a chance to even the score,” Downing said.
