Photo Credit: John McMurtry

#10 senior defender and team captain Diane Masket dominated San Mateo's attackers for a 0-0 shut-out.

Last Thursday, the Lady Bears faced league power San Mateo for a chance to move to first place in the PAL League devision. In the first period, M-A came out strong, creating a a few close opportunities that were unfortunately thwarted by the San Mateo defense. With senior attacker Jen Kirst leading the attack, the Bears dominated ball possession and controlled the tempo of the game. The midline, meanwhile, showed off its impressive passing skills, facilitating multiple scoring opportunities for the Bears.

Halfway through the game, the score was still knotted up at 0-0, with both goalies determined to maintain their strong presences. “If we really push the ball on offense, I think we can wear San Mateo down and hopefully put a 1 on the scoreboard,” starting keeper, junior Caitlyn Lanigan, said at the half.

However, not for lack of effort, the Bears were unable to place the ball into the elusive net. The highlight of the game for the Bears was the lockdown defense of senior Diane Masket. Repeatedly throughout the game, Masket’s defense paired with Lanigan’s goaltending to make scoring for San Mateo impossible.

After the last play of the game, a fight broke out between the Bears and the opposing Bearcats. A San Mateo player struck Menlo-Atherton’s Kylie Brandberry. Brandberry retaliated with a shove resulting in both players being red-carded and ejected from the game, leaving a sour taste in the mouth of all participants.

After the last whistle had been blown, Masket chose to focus on the positives, “The defense was under high pressure for this game because San Mateo is a fast and aggressive team,” she noted. “But we all worked together and got a shut-out. Not to mention that our goalie, Caitlyn Lanigan, saved us many times and made some key saves that kept the shut out.”

The Lady Bears look to maintain their defensive prowess in their next big game against Aragon on Tuesday.