Girls’ soccer (13-2-2) secures the title of Pacific Coast League champions after a 0-0 tie against Beckman High Patriots on Jan. 27. This Senior Night game marked the last home game for the Bulldogs in league.

The team will play their first CIF game on Feb. 8 against Warren High. The elimination round match will take place at 5:00 p.m. in the Portola stadium.

Prior to the match against Beckman High, the Bulldogs beat the Patriots 3-0 in a conference game on Jan. 3, managing to secure a spot in this season’s playoffs, according to forward and freshman Lorel Stringer. This did not stop the team from working hard throughout the season, according to varsity girls’ soccer coach Joshua Stringer.

“We’ve been focusing a lot on our movement from our forwards, so being dynamic and being unpredictable with our combination play and then our runs off the ball,” Joshua Stringer said. “We’ve also been working on timing our movements, so making sure that we’re on the last defender when we’re ready to receive balls.”

During the first half, the Bulldogs continually pressed the Patriots’ defense using their passing drills and offensive tactics strengthened during practice. Despite the Bulldogs maintaining possession of the ball for a majority of the game, when the ball did break through the midfielders, the Patriots’ defensive line prevented the strikers from scoring.

“I think this year is a lot more serious, and we’re focusing a lot more tactically,” defender and senior Caroline Wang said. “Rather, in the past, we focused more on just sending longer balls, so I think this year it’s definitely more challenging for us players to learn, but it’s better for us.”

Going into the second half, the Bulldogs’ offensive line pushed the ball into the attacking third, forcing the Patriots’ defense to protect their penalty area, according to Joshua Stringer. Even though the opposing team was just barely able to hold a tie, the offensive performance by the Bulldogs reflected the tactical improvements made throughout the season. 

“I think the way that our players supported each other, like when we’re getting knocked down or we get injured, there’s a genuine interest in caring about each other,” Joshua Stringer said. “And so from that standpoint, it was more about the personalities than the game.”

The Bulldogs closed Senior Night out somewhat successfully, and the teammates celebrated as they look forward to more games in the coming weeks.

“I hope that the seniors can feel like they’ve done something here at Portola and that we win and continue going on to CIFs,” Lorel Stringer said.