Varsity Mens Soccer Faces Upsetting Duel Against Tigers

Amy Simon, Sports Editor| March 25, 2023

  • Pablo Zavala ’24 looks at the audience after scoring the Warriors’ first goal. The audience members stood up and cheered for the team.

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  • Kawan Borba ’23 passes and shields the ball from his opponent. He was successful and helped the Warriors keep possession of the ball.

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  • Patrick Cotey ’23 dribbles and looks around the field for an open player to pass to. With no opponents near him, Cotey had time to look around and find the best option.

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  • Pol Marza ’23 dribbles the ball to the sideline to get rid of his opponent. Once he hit the sideline, Marza passed the ball to his teammate.

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  • Alex Kalakanis ’23 jukes out his opponent and passes the ball down the line. His pass helped the Warriors keep possession of the ball.

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  • Patrick Cotey ’23 dribbles the ball around the opponent to clear space to pass the ball. The Warriors quick movement helped them keep possession of the ball.

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  • Ishaan Saini ’26 steals the ball from his opponent. He looked down the line to pass the ball to clear space.

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  • Jorge Pena ’24 settles the ball and looks forward to dribble. Pena later passed to a player on the side to open up space.

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On Thursday, March 23, the varsity mens soccer team competed against the Dripping Springs Tigers for the first round of playoffs. The Warriors previously earned the district champion title prior to spring break and were eager to pull off a win to add the bi-district champion title to their belt. However, after a long battle that led to overtime and penalty kicks, the Warriors lost 5-4 in penalty kicks.

The Warriors started with kick-off and quickly held possession and maneuvered around the Tigers. The swift motions between passes and finding new space helped the Warriors move the ball up the field. Although the Tigers maintained consistent clearing of the ball, the Warriors dominated and earned free kicks and corners for the team. The first free-kick, made by Kawan Borba ‘23 hit close to the football post, causing a stir for the other team and audience members. A few minutes later, Rahul Kuthiala ‘25 crossed the ball in front of the goal; however, no one was there to receive it. A squabble halfway through the first half in front of the Warrior goal line caused the referee to interfere, delaying time and creating more tension between the two teams. Owen Plug ‘24 made significant saves, including a punch hitting the ball out over the goal after a free kick on the side of the box. Dripping Springs scored the first goal with 16 minutes left on the clock; however, two minutes later, Pablo Zavala ’24 headed the ball in off of a corner.

During the second half, the Warriors continued to dominate the field, stringing passes and working together to get the ball up the field. Plug continued to make solid saves and communicate with the back line. With 4:50 left on the clock, Borba smashed the ball into the goal, edging out the Tigers. However, the Tigers came back and scored with chaos in the box.

As the buzzer ended, both teams jogged off the field, highly anticipating the two ten-minute overtime periods. During overtime, the Warriors continued to hold more possession of the ball over the Tigers, with shots from Pol Marza ‘23 and Borba nearing the goal. However, neither team scored.

As the overtime period ended, players and audience members stood anxiously for the players to step on the field and begin. Goalkeeper Suhaas Patil ‘23 represented the Warriors during this time, locking in on the players’ movement and tracking the ball’s direction. The Warriors made four of the five shots, with the keeper saving one, and the Tigers scored all five, securing the win.

This was the Warriors’ last game of the 22-23 season. The team will be back to play their first scrimmage this December.