Looking Forward to Menlo's 2022-23 Soccer Seasons

by LEXI FRIESEL

The Menlo girls soccer program won their league in 2021, and they look to reclaim their title in the upcoming 202223 season.

Longtime coach Ross Ireland will return to coach the team, which ended their previous season with a record of 9-6-3. The season ended in the semifinal round of Central Coast Section playoffs with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in double overtime to Christopher High School.

Girls Boys

good amount of us have been going to offseason lifts which I think will help us with strength for the season,” Sellers said. “We’re definitely genuinely excited going into it.”

The girls will begin their season with a game at Cupertino High School on Nov. 29. “I’m excited for the season and can’t wait to see how it goes,” senior Hannah Gorospe said.

The Knights look to bounce back with an experienced roster of upperclassmen as well as several talented underclassmen. Seniors Colby Wilson and Sasha Bernthal will return to Wunderlich to play a key role in the team’s offensive unit. Sophomores Roya Rezaee and Audrey Hochstetler will play their second season on the varsity squad.

However, the team has faced significant adversity in the offseason. The roster lost several starting seniors who graduated in June. Also, senior Sam Sellers, the team’s starting goalkeeper, hopes to return from an injury. “I was recently hurt over the summer, so I am still working on getting back,” Sellers said. “Our team has been a low-morale club recently because of the injuries.” Other notable, and currently injured, players are senior Ellie El-Fishawy and junior Lila Gold.

The end of the season in February did not mark the final meeting of the team before the season’s start in November. “A

The 2021-22 repeat West Bay Athletic League Champion Menlo boys soccer team will return to Wunderlich this winter to defend their title. Last season, the Knights ended their season boasting a 12-4-3 overall record and a 10-1-1 league record. Their playoff run was cut short with a 2-0 loss to Menlo-Atherton in the CCS quarter finals.

This year, Daniel Hicker will assume the role of head coach on top of his role as the Director of Sports Performance. Hicker previously worked for a Major League Soccer team, the Columbus Crew, as the Director of Performance. He also has experience working for a local team, the San Jose Earthquakes. “I really like our new coach,” senior Ethan Yuen said. “I met him during the off-season lift. He’s a really great guy and it seems like he wants us to work really hard this season.”

Although some of the team’s upperclassmen graduated this spring, many talented athletes will play again this fall. In particular, juniors Andre Gonzalez

Lombera, Sandro Velazquez and Jacob Lee will play important roles on the field.

Although the team has not begun practicing yet, the players are excited to take on this year’s schedule. “Based on the players that we have on our team, I’m very optimistic about our season and our record,” Yuen said. “I think we may actually be better this season.”

The Knights will kick off their season on Nov. 30th with a league opener against Carlmont at home on Wunderlich Field.