ROCKLIN, CA – Menlo Women's Soccer put on a relentless display on the road, rallying late to draw 1-1 against the Warriors of Jessup University on Thursday evening. Temperatures rose past 100 degrees despite a late-evening kick off at 4:45pm which definitely played a role in the intense showdown. This match up was the first time facing the Warriors under the new roof of NCAA DII PacWest Conference and the competitive ways have continued from the NAIA.
Parlato's First Oak Goal
The Warriors struck first, scoring in the 43rd minute, putting Menlo on the back foot. However, the Oaks showed resilience. Menlo did not allow any more goals in the back of the net and continued to fight for their chance to flip the script. In the 87th minute, Menlo earned a corner kick after an offensive frenzy from the Oaks. The Warriors would deflect it out of bounds, giving Menlo another opportunity to send it into the box from the corner flag. Olivia Parlato found her moment, scoring her first career goal with Menlo off a well-placed kick by Kawai Acopan. The timing and precision of Parlato's goal electrified the Menlo bench, securing a hard-fought draw in the final moments.
Oak Standouts
Menlo's top performers contributed in key moments throughout the 90 minutes. Parlato's goal highlighted Menlo's 10 total shots, with 6 on target. Olivia Parlato joined the Oaks squad this season after two seasons at Santa Rosa Junior College. Parlato has been productive for the Oaks so far offensively, firing off 7 shots in 7 games. Today was the day she would find the back of the net! In the Oaks net, starting Goalkeeper Giorgia Melcore was instrumental, making 3 critical saves. The Oaks pressured Jessup's defense with 5 corner kicks to Jessup's 3, and both teams showed physical play, with Menlo committing 6 fouls to Jessup's 7. Jessup outshot Menlo with 13 shots, but Menlo's defense held firm. This intense matchup underscored Menlo's persistence, earning them a crucial point on the road.
Up Next….
The Oaks are on a 10-day business trip to Hawaii next week to take on the three schools in the PacWest. The first match will take place on Thursday, October 10th against Chaminade University at 3:30pm in Honolulu, Hawaii!
