ATHERTON, CA – In an electrifying battle at Wunderlich Field on Thursday afternoon, Menlo Men's Soccer displayed their resilience, coming from behind to secure a thrilling 3-3 tie against Sonoma State University.
Relentless Attack from Oaks in Second Half
The match started with the Oaks facing an uphill battle after conceding two quick goals to the Seawolves within the first 15 minutes. Menlo quickly found their footing. In the 17th minute, Ian Brusewitz, starting in central midfield in this match, made a crucial play by stealing the ball near the center circle with 3 Seawolves surrounding him. He delivered a clever through ball to striker Isak Haukefaer, who skillfully finished near post to get Menlo on the board. Haukefaer leads the season so far with 4 goals in 4 matches. The junior Oak continues to work hard for his teammates and sparks many creative opportunities on the attack. Despite the early goal, the Oaks entered halftime trailing 1-3, battling a strategic and skilled Sonoma attack.
Head Coach Keith Lambert's halftime speech clearly rallied the crew, inspiring them to increase their intensity and press forward with purpose. The second half saw a dramatic shift in momentum. Menlo's high-pressure tactics paid off, forcing the Seawolves to spend 43% of their possession in their defensive third. In the 72nd minute, the Oaks mounted a strong attack down the center of the field. Sebastian Lopez found himself in a strong scoring position inside the box, which his teammate recognized. After receiving the ball and having a good first touch, the Seawolf defender fouled hard to take down Lopez who drew the penalty. This play resulted in a straight red card for the Sonoma defender and put Menlo a man up. Capitalizing on the opportunity, starting center back David Stuber stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, bringing the score to 2-3.
Just one minute later, Roy Rosenberg made a remarkable run from Menlo's defensive half, executing a perfect 1-2 combination with Brusewitz. He sped past four Seawolf defenders and deflected the ball into the net, equalizing the match at 3-3. From there, Menlo continued to push forward and search for the go-ahead goal, but could not execute.
Looking at the Stats
Menlo showcased impressive offensive ability, firing off 11 shots with 7 on target, including 7 shots in the second half alone. The Oaks also earned 6 corner kicks, creating quality scoring opportunities from each set piece. The emotion of the match was clear, leading to 9 total bookings, including 2 yellow cards to Menlo and 7 to Sonoma.
At the end of the day, Menlo proved they can compete with a high-level opponent that underestimated their capabilities. It was truly an impressive performance from all Oaks on the pitch.
Up Next…..
Menlo Men's Soccer is on the road again on Saturday, September 21st as they head up to Chico State for an evening match under the lights at 7pm. The Oaks are one step closer to the win column and are seeking a strong victory this weekend.
