Everleigh Porter Spearheads the Knights to CCS Finals

The stage was set for a semifinals match with teams with similar names. The Menlo Knights and the Menlo-Atherton Bears. The Knights came into this playoff match as the 98th ranked team in CA, with an overall record of (14-4-3). They were the 2nd place team in the West Bay - Foothill League with a record of (7-1-2) in league play. Although they conceded 19 goals up to this point, they have 9 clean sheets and a stubborn defense to contend with. They advanced by beating 5th seed Carlmont (14-4-2) in a penalty shootout (5-4 PKs). The Bears are the home team and the #1 seed in this Division 3 tournament. They advanced by winning #8 Pajaro Valley (17-1-2) in the quarterfinals by a score of (3-0). The Bears also have a really good defense with 8 games in which they prevented teams from putting goals on the board.   It started off fast and somewhat furious as both teams turned up the intensity, and it was clearly visible that they weren't going to take their feet off the gas pedal. This fast-paced match featured high-level club players and talent levels seen in most Division 1 games. [player_tooltip player_id='202653' first='Everleigh' last='Porter'], freshman midfielder, was their most valuable player in the match. She opened up the scoring in the first seven minutes of the 2nd half by picking up a loose ball sent from a throw-in just inside of the 18. She quickly brought it under control and sent it to the back post. Her ability to make precise passes and quick decisions can be attributed to her experience playing on the U.S. Futsal U16 National Team. It would be interesting to see if she gets a national call-up sometime, as it would be for two different US teams, as I believe she is capable of achieving.   <a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1894933959039205793">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1894933959039205793</a>   Other Menlo standouts were Krista Arreola, who scored the Knights second goal off of a Porter assist, which started from their 18. It was a beautiful sequence as Porter received the pass from just past the middle of the pitch before slipping it through to Krista, who made an awesome move to fake the goalkeeper to one side before getting past her for the goal. Julia Axelrod, Jose Lee, Audrey Hochstetler, and [player_tooltip player_id='275082' first='Bianca' last='Putanec'] also played a big part in their team's success. Putanec made some key saves to keep the Knights on pace for a finals match.   <a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895001250569310409">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1895001250569310409</a>   Akimi Jesperson scored their team's only goal on a penalty kick. She paused to get the goalkeeper to make a decision to jump to a side, but the GK didn't take the bait, but Jespersen's low left post shot had enough pace to get by the goalkeeper's diving attempt. The Bears did have other opportunities to tie the game, but the combination of Putanec's key saves and not having things fall in their favor could have been the difference.   <a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1894999108945170943">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1894999108945170943</a>   Other Menlo-Atherton standout players worth mentioning are Stell Hall, Brooke Fehrenbach, Cassidy Thomas, and GK Elise Koo. Those players kept their team within reach. They battled to the final whistle, and their team and coaches should be proud of their accomplishments this season. Their (10-6-3) overall record and their 2nd place league finish at (6-2-2) in league play are what other teams aspire to and are goals for many teams. Next up for HC Jason Luce and the Bears is to see if they will land a spot in the NorCal tournament. As for Ross Ireland and the Knights, they will compete in the CCS Girls Division 3 Championship match on Saturday (3/1/25) against Mountain View, the #3 seed and 132nd ranked team in CA. It will be great, if not epic, finals match.      Played as a midfielder and was a key part of the Knights offense. She would make clean passes to diagonal or overlapping runners. She was good at finding open spots in the field to receive passes and start counterattacks from their defensive side. She plays club soccer for [program_tooltip program_id='280274' first='De' last='Anza Force'].     Played as a forward and as a left wing. She has great footwork and can take on players in 1v1s, and she got by a few players multiple times in the match. Her moves are quick, and her cutbacks can possibly twist some ankles. She scored the winning goal to get her team into the finals match. She plays club soccer for MVLA.     Played on the right wing and made some good runs down the sideline. She made combination passes and distributed quick passes to runners making diagonal runs to the box. She plays club soccer for MVLA.     Played in the central mid position. She was clearly one of the leaders on her team. Audrey made some key plays on offense and defense to get her team to the finals match. Her calm composure, vocal leadership, and directing players to the right spots made it easier for their team to work as a unit. She plays club soccer for SVSA.     She played as a right back and made some key stops near the 18. She is part of her defensive side which had 8 clean sheets coming into this match. Her tough challenges made it difficult for the Knights to break through the middle. She plays club soccer for Palo Alto SC.    <a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1894928911613731050">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1894928911613731050</a>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1892981725791179019 </div></figure>

The stage was set for a semifinals match with teams with similar names. The Menlo Knights and the Menlo-Atherton Bears. The Knights came into this playoff match as the 98th ranked team in CA, with an overall record of (14-4-3). They were the 2nd place team in the West Bay - Foothill League with a record of (7-1-2) in league play. Although they conceded 19 goals up to this point, they have 9 clean sheets and a stubborn defense to contend with. They advanced by beating 5th seed Carlmont (14-4-2) in a penalty shootout (5-4 PKs). The Bears are the home team and the #1 seed in this Division 3 tournament. They advanced by winning #8 Pajaro Valley (17-1-2) in the quarterfinals by a score of (3-0). The Bears also have a really good defense with 8 games in which they prevented teams from putting goals on the board.