ATHERTON, CA

Following Saturday's tense 0-0 game against UC Merced, the Oaks clearly spent the last few days devising ways to make their mark on the scoresheet in today's matchup with the Red Hawks. With a 5-0 victory today, Menlo's record is now 1-0-1 overall.

Shooting the Lights Out

When the dust settled on today's game, Menlo had outshot Simpson by a staggering margin of 29-0, with 13 of the Oaks' attempts finding the target. It was a dazzling display of offensive confidence from a team that looks eager to keep opponents on their back feet.

Menlo got off the mark when a pair of substitutes made an immediate impact upon their introductions. In the 30th minute, Johan Mendoza Aguilar and Mattia Celant had been on the pitch for a matter of seconds when Celant received a slick one-touch pass from Axel Valle on the edge of the 18-yard box. Celant surged into the box and arrowed a cross toward goal, which Mendoza Aguilar latched onto and rocketed into the back netting. 

The rest of the first half saw more opportunities for Menlo, but it was in the beginning of the second half that the Oaks seized control of the match. Senior midfielder Levin Ledergerber tallied his first and second goals of the season in the 49th and 55th minutes, each of which was assisted by Ryan Branigan. Throughout the match, Branigan pushed to provide his teammates with quality service, and found his perfect complement in Ledergerber. Sandwiched between the Swiss number 13's goals was sophomore Isak Haukefier's first goal of the year, which stemmed from a double assist by fellow scorers Ledergerber and Mendoza Aguilar. 

The man who assisted the Oaks' first goal of the day also scored their last, with Mattia Celant adding Menlo's 5th in the 75th minute. Celant's finish, in which he put his laces through the ball and zipped it across the goal into the far-side netting, was the perfect finale to an excellent day for the Menlo attack.

Defensive Superiority

The defensive pairing that provided the foundation along Menlo's back line last season was back in action today, with David Stuber and Ian Brusewitz starting alongside each other for the first time in 2023. The two immediately found the rhythm they enjoyed last year, with the Red Hawks' offense unable to muster a single shot in 90 minutes. Stuber and Brusewitz have an impressive chemistry, with each knowing how and when to react to the other's movements on and off the ball. It is a welcome sight for Oaks fans, as defensive solidity is a necessity for success in the Golden State Athletic Conference. 

Menlo's fullbacks, Ryan Herrington and Roy Rosenberg, also put in superb shifts on either side of Brusewitz and Stuber. Herrington's ability to push forward and support the attack, but then immediately track back and cut out opponents' forays forward, makes him an invaluable asset for the Menlo lineup. His time spent with the Sports Performance staff over the summer break has also clearly given him even more speed and power than he had last season. Rosenberg, meanwhile, has immediately settled into the starting lineup in his first season with the team. His tenacity up and down the sideline, coupled with incisive actions in moments of transition, have been eyebrow-raising so far in 2023.

Up Next

Menlo will return to the Wunderlich Field turf on Saturday, August 26th for a 4:00 PM home match against the Oregon Institute of Technology.