In continuation of their winning streak against the Edmund Burke Bengals, the Lions secured a 3-1 victory in the PVAC quarterfinals on Oct. 23, and will advance to the semifinals on Oct. 25. The Lions played an intense defensive game and dominated the competition by maintaining possession of the ball. To honor the late alumnus Omer Balva (‘19) who played on the varsity boys soccer team, the Lions players and coaches all wore stickers with the number 18 throughout the game.
The Lions barely let the ball pass the halfway line during the beginning of the first half; as the ball lingered around the opponent’s goal, freshman Brielle Bassin took advantage and tapped the ball right into the goal off of a corner kick for the Lion’s first goal of the game. Bassin has contributed to the team’s wins greatly this fall season, and reflected on her role on the team as a new member.
“Honestly, everyone’s really made us [the freshmen on the team] not feel like freshmen and more like just a part of the team,” Bassin said. “Overall, I think we’re a team with a lot of teamwork, and we all put in what we take out.”
Burke managed to penetrate the Lion’s defense and even the score at 1-1 midway through the first half. During the second half, the ball moved all around the field as both teams attempted to break the tie. Freshman Cat Salz streamlined down the field and kicked the ball right into the corner of the goal, putting the Lions at a one goal lead.
“Defensively, we play very strongly every game and that… keeps us in every game. We don’t give up a lot of goals,” girls varsity soccer coach Paul Simonetti said. “So here we are in the semifinals again.”
Burke attempted to fight back by strengthening their defensive play and minimizing the space between them and their opponents. As the pressure amplified, sophomore Carrine Shemesh shot the ball directly into the goal, putting her team in the lead with a score of 3-1 with only 15 minutes remaining in the game.
“I feel like this year we’ve really stepped to the plate and we’ve been playing even sometimes better than we think we will be,” captain and senior Abby Greenberg said. “And we’re really putting up a fight against our toughest competitors.”
The Lions won with a final score of 3-1, defeating Burke for the third time this season, and will go on to compete in the semifinals against the Washington International School.
“It’s gonna be a very tight game… a very competitive game,” Simonetti said. “Hopefully the true potential of our frontline will present itself and we’ll put some goals in.”
