The varsity men’s soccer team won a high-octane game against the Stony Point Tigers on Friday, March 3, with the final score of 4-0. Though the game took some time to ramp up in speed and intensity, there was no backing down once it did. The match was an aggressive one, full of goals, near misses, and penalties for both teams.

The Warriors received kickoff, but were unable to make a sizable shot until ten minutes into the game. They did, however, hold on to possession for the whole first half, launching attacks and shots against the Tigers’ goalie. Halfway through the first half, the Tigers tried to retaliate but were met with the Warrior midfielders who cleared the ball straight to the parking lot outside the Warrior Bowl. The opponents maintained control of the play for a few minutes afterward, passing around the Westwood goal but avoiding any direct attacks. However, a slip from a forward gave the ball back to the home team, who took it and ran for the game’s first goal 17 minutes in from Pol Marza ’23, who would go on to score a hat trick. The rest of the half ended the way it began, with a fairly even competition for possession of the ball.

The second half opened with Stony Point’s kick, and instantly, the field was completely changed. The players returned from halftime more energized than they’d been all game, moving and playing at a much higher speed. After only seven minutes, Westwood scored their second goal of the game, and then, three minutes later, their third, from forward Kawan Borba ’23. 

After the goals, the tension on the field rose as the teams’ sense of urgency increased. The more aggressive playstyle resulted in the first yellow card of the match, given to Patrick Cotey ’23. Soon after, the Tigers launched a shot at the Westwood net, but a foul was called, and no goal was awarded. The players, however, felt the pressure and began arguing on the field. The two instigators were separated before things turned violent, but the Stony Point player came away with a red card. 

Five minutes later, Marza scored the fourth goal of the game, followed by another yellow card for the opponents. With the timer running out and a lead secured, the Warriors’ playing eased up and relaxed into less deliberate shots and more laidback attacks. The play soon became sloppier as Stony Point, too, began to lose their steam. The teams traded set pieces for the next fifteen minutes, all of which concluded in a powerful Stony Point corner kick resolving with a save from goalkeeper Owen Plug ’24. Just before the end of the game, Felix Garcia ’23 received the match’s last yellow card before the game concluded with a defeated run from the Tigers.

“The crowd was going crazy,” Ishaan Saini ’26 said. “We played really well.”

The Warriors are currently ranked first in the district and will face off against the Manor Mustangs on Tuesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m.