Highlanders win. 2-1

On March 27th, the McLean girls’ varsity soccer team looked to even out their losing record of 1-2 in their fourth match of the season against the West Potomac Wolverines.

“Coming off of our 7-1 win against Justice, we had a really good attitude going into the game [against West Potomac],” sophomore outside back Talia Russo said. “We knew we were going to have to battle, but we also knew that we wanted the win.”

The match started with West Potomac kicking off, but McLean quickly established themselves as the dominant team. Pressing with aggressive defense, the Highlanders forced their opponent further and further back toward the Wolverines’ goal. Eventually gaining possession of the ball, the girls were able to make a strong scoring attempt within the first five minutes of the half, but the shot didn’t fall for the highlanders.

“One of the strongest parts of the team this year is our offense,” Russo said. “Our connections with each other on the field are definitely taking us far.”

Their forceful approach to their offense came with drawbacks, with offside calls plaguing the team throughout the game.

Despite the setbacks, the Highlanders were able to push on, continuing their intense play and taking shots on West Potomac’s goal. Finally, Andreoli pushed past the sprinting defenders, found an opening past the Wolverines’ goalie, and scored the first point of the match. With players on and off the field cheering and celebrating, the team’s energy was immediately refueled.

With their newly revived vigor, the Highlanders quickly took possession of the ball from the rattled Wolverines, making yet another beeline toward their goal. With the efforts of sophomore forward Kacey Blum and Andreoli, the team found itself with another point, not two minutes after they scored their last goal.

Riding high on their early 2-0 lead, the Highlanders were playing with more confidence, holding the ball for longer and slowing down the game. However, the Wolverines were regaining their footing and beginning to fight back, encroaching closer and closer to McLean’s goal.

With less than five minutes left in the half, a West Potomac player skied the ball towards the Highlanders’ goal, managing to catch McLean freshman goalie Aimee Abraham off guard and opening the net for the Wolverines to score.

The first half ended with the Highlanders in the lead with a score of 2-1, but with the Wolverines appearing to be gaining their rhythm, it was clear the girls would have to fight to take the win.

The second half was much less one-sided than the first. Both teams frequently exchanged possession of the ball, pulling the game back and forth from the opposite sides of the field. Multiple attempts at each other’s goals were made, and several missed or were blocked by a narrow margin.

As the clock ticked by, it became evident that if one team let up, the other would not hesitate to capitalize. The constant battles between the players and the occasional fouls resulted in a stalemate for the remainder of the game.

The referees eventually blew the final whistle, ending the match and solidifying the Highlanders’ victory against West Potomac, 2-1. Ecstatically jumping and hugging one another, the relief and excitement from the girls could be felt from the bleachers.

“Everyone’s been working really hard and doing their best for the team,” Russo said. “I think our mindset of giving it our all and battling for everything is going to take us far this season.”