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Maya Tedini

Center midfielder and senior Yasser Mallisho scored two goals on Senior Night. “It was amazing, you know, last league game of my life,” Mallisho said. “High school’s been an amazing time starting since sophomore year in varsity, and it’s been a hell of a ride.”

Boys’ soccer (8-5-4) won against Sage Hill High 3-0 on Feb. 2 in the stadium following a tie against Irvine High earlier in the week.

The game started in the Bulldogs’ favor with a throw-in at the 10-yard line from center back and senior Nolan Nicholson, and center midfielder and senior Yasser Mallisho finished the play with a goal only two minutes into the game.

“We were very aggressive going forward,” boys’ soccer coach Benjamin Jordon said. “I think that’s a positive because there have been a lot of where we have been kind of passive, where we’d just kind of sit back and try to play pretty, and I think today we were really trying to score and put the game away.”

The Bulldogs maintained a strong offensive possession throughout the first half, allowing only three shots at the goal by the Lightnings. The Bulldogs scored their second goal at the 25-minute mark when Mallisho took a corner kick, and midfielder and senior Artin Salehi set the score to 2-0.

Three minutes later, Mallisho took a corner kick and curved the ball toward the goal, scoring the Bulldogs’ third point.

“We came in knowing that we were already in CIF, but that didn’t stop us and we had to go in with 110% effort,” left wing and senior Rishabh Bajaj said.

As the second half kicked off, the Lightnings’ offense increased pressure by smooth passing, yet Portola High’s defense and midfielders still cleared the ball up. At the 17-minute-mark, Mallisho managed to weave through five of Sage Hill’s players, but the goalie intercepted his pass before forward and senior Shaya Sharifi could score a goal.

The Bulldogs’ defense allowed the Lightnings’ forward to push through 28 minutes in. A few minutes later, the offensive pressure from the Bulldogs picked up again after the ball was largely on their own side with multiple close calls.

“There were some moments where we could have played faster, we could have moved the ball quicker, but I mean you go up a goal, you get a little relaxed, so I think we go up three, and so I think we were really relaxed,” Jordon said.

As the game came to a close, both teams got more aggressive, but the Bulldogs were able to close out their 3-0 win. This is the first year that boys’ soccer made it to CIF, marking a huge accomplishment, according to Jordon.  Their second CIF game took place Feb. 11 against San Gorgonio High in the stadium, which the Bulldogs lost 3-1, officially concluding their season.

“First couple years of varsity we played very individually, and we weren’t as a team, and now we’re not just a team honestly, just a family now, so I feel like our chemistry has grown a lot,” Mallisho said.