AV Girls LAX - Varsity

Monte Vista came into the matchup with a mixed bag of wins and close losses. Some felt the Mustangs of old wouldn’t be much of a challenge. It was a good reminder that everyone is bringing their A game against Amador.

Bella Mayo came screaming out of the draw, taking a wide open shot. But the tough angle resulted in a save. The Dons swarmed the midfield and forced a take away only to pass out of bounds. Madelynn Riddle picked up a ground ball on defense and quickly entered into transition. Manos received the ball at the top and drove center for the first goal. Despite some tough defense Monte Vista earned a trip to the line and their first goal. After losing the draw, Grace French would position herself to receive a charge. Her effort would be squandered as Amador would sail another ball out of bounds. Luckily, midfield defense would continue to earn turnovers. A set Amador play would be executed to perfection as Mayo curled in from the wing, receiving a sharp pass, and finishing down the center for goal. Out of the draw a fast break give and go between Bella Mayo and Lily Manos would score easily. Manos would have her fingerprints all over this match and earn the draw, releasing to Mady Sweeney. Sweeney would drive center for a 4-1 advantage. Monte Vista would take a saved shot and attack. Amador defense would lock down but give up a push penalty. Alex Lovelock would deny their opportunity. After a brief offensive trip Amador would be back on defense. Another Mustang penalty attempt would have defenders on both sides obstruct her stick arc, with stick to stick contact. Somehow the ball slowly bounced into the net. On the next play, Shiblaq would send a speedy pass into a cutting Mayo underneath the 8 meter to retake momentum. Amador would take a hard earned draw win and send another pass out of bounds. These types of squandered opportunities will be critical in the upcoming NCS tournament. The teams would go back and fort switching sides. Finally Sam Nimmo would drive from the left elbow and weave past defenders for goal, 6-2. Timeout Monte Vista. Monte Vista would attempt to invigorate their offense by running set plays. The Dons would deny their advances with quick slides. Finally a Mustang player would litterally slip through the defense and fall in front of the goal. 4 Dons would hover, careful not to foul. The Mustang player would miraculously send a shot through their legs, while laying on the floor, into the goal. Out of the draw Mayo would respond with a solo drive, showing high and shooting low 7-3. The Mustangs would run a high pick and roll for another goal. Fun lacrosse fact, blind picks/ screens are illegal in lacrosse which is different from basketball. Manos will take the next drive for shooting space. Her perfectly placed penalty shot bounced into the back of the net, 8-4. Amador would allow a crucial defensive error in the closing seconds and allow a driver deep inside the 8 meter. The Mustang would send a sweeping brush pass into the net with 4 seconds left in the half.

Out of the half all the momentum that Monte Vista built would be sucked out of the air as Amador would begin to pick their defense apart one goal at a time. The Mustangs showed great effort in the first half but could not sustain their high level of effort. The Dons would notch another solid win. Alex Lovelock would contribute 5 saves during the game. The defense of Grace French, Madelyn Riddle, Erica Haley, Kiki Sweeney, Alexis Bayani, and Emma Rathjen would hold the line only giving back two more goals in the closing minutes. It’s far to easy to mention all the players scoring and holding the ball. But this season requires an entire team contributing to every win. On attack Isa Clark, Sophia Shiblaq, Victoria Frenz, Catherine Murphy, and Sam Nimmo ensure solid handling and midfield transitions. Our midfielders of Mady Sweeney, Lily Manos, Kalena Johnson, Marley Diligent, and Bella Mayo provide full field help and the bulk of our scoring opportunities. As we round out the season, hopefully we can keep all the players at full strength and healthy. We will need everyone of these special ladies to play their best ball against our rival, the Foothill Falcons, and the upcoming matches in the NCS tournament.