Comeback Victory: Cate Girls Varsity Soccer Tops Thacher 3-2
December 29, 2023
Cate GVS 3 – 2 Thacher
Saves: Jeeyou Jung (8)
Assists: Fiona Pan ’27, Nika Iverson ’26, Precious Adjei ’27
Goals: Addie Bracher ’26, Tania Molina ’26, Precious Adjei ’27
Momentum Swing: How Cate GVS Reclaimed the Game
It’s been a while since we beat Thacher, and it took us time to beat them today (12/5), but we sure are glad of the result! We are still adjusting to our new team and roles, struggling with injuries and the latest respiratory virus; our physical energy was lower than usual going into today’s game, even if we were mentally ready. Thacher capitalized early with two quick goals in under 20 minutes. That was a discouraging blow; some frustrating kickball ensued. But this team is resilient and dynamic, so if one person struggled to breathe, another stepped in seamlessly. We got the marking sorted out in the back. Our passing began to look more like us. Stella Rogers ’25 and Nika Iverson ran and ran and ran to balance the field in outside midfield positions, keeping their legs steady enough to connect passes and hold possession with composure.
Eventually, our moment came when Fiona Pan stepped up to take a free kick in the attacking third. If you’ve seen Fiona play, you’ve seen the remarkable arc of her long ball, and she put several of them into dangerous positions today. This free kick landed in the tricky zone right in front of the Thacher keeper, but not directly in her hands. It was a scramble, and it seemed like our whole offense was there to crash the goal. I’m sure Claire Bianchi ’26 had a touch, Precious too, and eventually, Nika Iverson got the ball to Addie Bracher, who put it away. It was our first goal of the season, and in that moment, the game’s momentum completely changed. We had our confidence back. Our passing tally increased dramatically, and we were much more willing to switch fields or dribble away from pressure. Enthusiasm was renewed, the game became a lot more fun, and there was a certain amount of Coach Lisa Holmes’s belief about how quickly a dos-a-cero deficit can be overcome.
Our second goal was much like the first; only Tania Molina was our goal scorer, bringing the game back to a level 2-2 with about 25 minutes left. Tania was a revelation with how she held her ground and provided us with an essential passing option; the goal is a testament to her hard work. Meanwhile, the back line was fending off significant attacks from a fast Thacher offense that played direct long balls and required emergency action to be taken time and again. Mel Davidson ’24, Zoë Fint ’25, Josie Frazer ’24, Shannon Murray ’24, Zyla Dhillon ’25, Caroline Batchelder ’24, Analise Gomez, and GK Jeeyou Jung ’25 put their bodies through the paces today to keep the second half scoreless. Mel took that kick right in the gut but quickly returned to her feet. Even under fire, the defensive group built out of the back, connecting passes, playing confident keep away.
And then, with just three minutes to spare, Precious found the ball at her feet in the attacking third and just… had a go all by herself. There was some dribbling, some faking, a quick change of pace around a left shoulder turn, and she took the shot! We were suddenly up 3-2. The score would hold despite a Thacher drive that ended with a collision in our box. The whistle blew, and we could all breathe again except for Shannon and the coughing. This win was a testament to belief, endurance, and the kind of luck that comes from hard work.
There’s not much rest in sight as we play at home again on Thursday (12/7) against Foothill Tech; send all your cold remedies our way. Thank you for reading, and to the teams, faculty, and parents that came out to watch (and to our loyal fans watching the live stream worldwide)!