The NC varsity boys soccer team (2-3-1) played the Pebblebrook Falcons (6-0-1) on Friday night, February 11. The game did not end as the Warriors anticipated, but they plan to train harder and perform stronger for the rest of their season. Despite their best efforts and their vigorous determination to come out on top, the Warriors accepted a one-point defeat against the Falcons, ending the match, 2-1.

The Warriors began the first half of the game with their strong starting lineup, but they lacked the energy they needed to gain the first point. The Falcons scored a point barely two minutes into the first half. The Falcon’s goal served as a wake-up call for the Warriors to strengthen their defense, but the Falcons executed several tough plays with which the Warriors could not compete.

“We excelled at pushing through the whole game, and giving it our all. A few things went wrong in the first minutes of the game, we should have focused on the goal from the beginning. It took us time for us to wake up,” junior left wing (#7) Brandon Castillo said.

Despite the Warriors best efforts, the Falcons managed to score yet another goal only six minutes after their first. The Falcons maintained this lead throughout the first half as the Warriors strived to gain on them. Both teams played their hardest, and neither team scored for another 20 minutes.

With only nine minutes left of the first half, the Warriors scored their first point with the help of Castillo. He scored the only point made on Friday night, and plans to maintain his athletic reputation this season, and continue into his senior year.

“On the field, we communicate and watch out for each other. We tell each other our weaknesses and what we need to work on. Communication is key for us, and the game showed us not only do we have the potential to make the playoffs, but also the hard work we are putting in. Even though we did not win, we will work on and work harder on our weak points,” Castillo said.

After halftime, the Warriors headed into the game with a clear mindset, and ready to score on the Falcons. The Warriors put up a strong defense that the Falcons could not score on. Although the Falcons also put up a tough defense, the Warriors took several close calls in the beginning of the second half. As the night went on, the Warriors made simple mistakes due to exhaustion that cost them the win.

“Friday’s game was a tough game for all of us. We need to start our games off with a higher intensity-something that we did not do while playing Pebblebrook. We are definitely going to start our next game against [East Paulding] strong from the beginning,” sophomore midfielder (#6) Alejandro Melendez said.

Despite their loss, the Warriors prepare to overcome their weaknesses to put forward a fighting chance in the remainder of their season. The Warriors play the East Paulding Raiders (1-4) on Friday, February 18, and look at the upcoming game as a fresh start to wipe their slate clean of loss.