SURPRISE, AZ – #6 seeded Menlo Women's Soccer drops final match of the 2023 season in the GSAC Semifinals against #1 seed OUAZ, 1-3. Head Coach Freddy Delgado finished his second season at Menlo with an overall record of 4-7-2 and 2-3-2 in conference play. Defender Liv Brunzell scored the lone goal for Menlo for her first time to give her teammates hope to overcome the Spirit. The match fell in favor of OUAZ but not without an offensive battle on both sides of the field.
Brunzell Scores First Goal of Season in Semifinals
OUAZ tallied an early 0-2 lead on the Oaks within the first 9 minutes of the match before Menlo found their momentum. A hard foul around the Spirits 40 yard line would grant a free kick to Menlo. All-GSAC Center midfielder Kawai Acopan set up to take the kick with teammates lined up at the top of the 18-yard box. Acopan sent a perfectly placed bouncing ball into the 6-yard box where Liv Brunzell was crashing with a defender on her shoulder. A technical volley struck hard would find the back of the net off the foot of Brunzell to give Menlo some hope. In over 1000 minutes played this season, this would account for Liv's first goal as an outside back. This would also count for Kawai's third assist in 13 games played. Liv Brunzell has played in all 13 matches for the Oaks and has continued to be a technical footballer in clutch moments. Brunzell is just a sophomore and will be returning for another opportunity to compete with the Menlo Oaks!
Goalkeeper Melcore with Another Double-Digit Save Match
In a side-by-side comparison, OUAZ earned 6 corner kicks while Menlo was granted 3. Offensively, the Oaks attempted 11 shots, 5 of them being on frame. The Spirit fired off 22 shots with 14 being on frame. Goalkeeper Giorgia Melcore was tested all 90 minutes of the match and totaled 11 saves against the Spirit. The sophomore from Milan, Italy has been a consistent starter for the Oaks with 990 minutes across 14 appearances. During the season Melcore has made 60 saves with a .811 save percentage to lead the conference. Giorgia Melcore was named to the All-GSAC team for her performances and today was just another reason why she deserves to be on that list!
