On Friday, January 15 the girls soccer team came out strong and determined to earn the win they hoped for in an early season match-up against Lynbrook High School.

The Eagles played an impressive first-half, earning the majority of the possession and controlling the game. Lynbrook had a limited number of goal-scoring opportunities, mostly due to their lack of ability to develop any play that moved its way into the final third of the field and through the Eagles’ defensive line.

At the 30 minute mark, a through pass from midfield by senior Sara Friend was deflected directly into the path of senior Stephanie Kouvelas, who was already running to meet the rolling ball. Chasing after the deflected pass, Stephanie’s first touch took her into the penalty area, where her poise in front of the goal finally put the Eagles up 1-0.

But Lynbrook wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Soon after they went down a goal, the Vikings earned a free kick directly outside the Los Altos 18-yard box. The shot was taken, but sophomore goalkeeper Sophie Smith dove to meet the ball at the lower left post of the goal, blocking the shot that would have tied the game, and Los Altos maintained their 1-0 lead through halftime.

Immediately after the whistle blew to start the second half, a simple throw in turned into a goal scoring opportunity for the Eagles. Junior Hannah Wendelken was able to flick the ball into the 18-yard box, allowing Stephanie to run in behind her into a dangerous position. An unfortunate touch sent the ball further than necessary, but Stephanie was able to recover and gain a corner kick for the team.

The Eagles continued to press the Lynbrook defense, and just 10 minutes into the second half another scoring opportunity arose when a cross from the right flank met Stephanie in the 18-yard box, whose header missed the goal by mere inches. Just 15 minutes later, Hannah gathered the ball at the top of the 18-yard box and took a shot that put the Eagles ahead 2-0 with time left to spare in the second half.

With each shot at goal the Eagles came close to finishing, Lynbrook lost control of the game and was unable to respond to the pressure that came their way. It was the only a strong performance by Lynbrook goalkeeper that kept the game to a close 2-0 final score in favor of the Eagles.

What made this game so successful for the Eagles was their ability to use their voices as their essential 12th player. Each voice was used to work for and with each player, connecting all players of the team and directing them as they moved across the field. The support was there, and any member of a team-sport will agree that the solace of another teammate can give them the extra push they need to persevere and move forward in any game.

The Eagles will look to continue their success when they go on the road to play Wilcox on Wednesday, January 20. Their next home game will be on Friday,  January 22 against Cupertino.