McLean wins, 6-0
As the sun began to dim, the McLean Highlanders filed out onto the field prepared to challenge the Alexandria Titans on April 19th. Although the crowd was relatively empty, lacking the typical huddles of support, the expectations for the match were set sky high as the team had maintained an indestructible winning streak throughout the season so far.
The game kicked off with intense offense as McLean engaged in both dominant play and strong communication, highlighting their team’s powerful dynamics.
“Our positivity and chemistry throughout the team [contributed to our success tonight and] made us really strong playing together,” sophomore Arman Badipour said.
McLean continued to outplay Alexandria early on, passing the ball to each other with such agility that their opponents could not keep up, let alone track their movements. Their spirited strategy allowed them to finish the first twenty minutes with a 2-0 lead.
The rest of the first half was only a continuation of the commanding presence McLean had exhibited earlier, characterized by movements of control and precision. With only ten minutes left before halftime, McLean had gained two more shots, leveling the score to 4-0. Although Alexandria fought hard to balance the scoreboard, they failed to succeed, allowing McLean to stay in the lead.
However, returning from halftime, it seemed that the pause in playing time had destroyed both the team’s momentum and energy. Their sudden exhaustion and passive approach had ultimately worked to decrease their pace of goals, causing them to have ended the first part of the second half with zero new shots.
“We want to improve on keeping the team’s mentality strong [throughout the game],” Badipour said. “We kind of led off towards the end so I don’t think tonight was the best that we’ve played all season.”
As the minutes on the scoreboard began to tick down, it was evident that McLean felt the pressure to bring back their energy, having made an instant, determined return to the match. The anticipation and vigor, which had previously died off, had been flipped back on and were charged to the max. Just as there were less than ten minutes left in the game, McLean was able to pick up the pieces and increase their speed, swiftly scoring two consecutive goals and leaving Alexandria in their wake. Their rapid comeback allowed them to end the night with a 6-0 victory, their winning streak continuing to endure.
“We played well and had a lot of the ball. We supported each other and it really helped us get the win,” junior Griffin Bataille said. “[Overall,] chemistry is pretty high and everyone is super happy [with tonight’s outcome].”
