For the ISSL Girls Soccer Finals, EABH was up for another match against Nations, who the Lady Hawks had previously beaten four nil. This was it. This was the last game of ISSL -- a reflection of the first, in a perfect full circle moment -- and the weather reflected exactly that: in a rainy day that seemingly cleared up precisely for the match.
The first half of the game started with Nation’s spirits high. Their crowd was cheering non-stop with very impressive (and original!) chants, but this did not deter the Lady Hawks whatsoever. Both Carol Okano (77) and Carol Bonato (14) were playing to their best abilities, contributing to EABH’s ball possession time being higher than that of the opposing team. As the first half came to a close, the wind was getting heavier and the atmosphere tenser. Within the last few minutes of the first half, Carol Okano scored a goal; for the rest of the game, EABH just had to defend.
Joshua Durchfort and Pedro Mourão performed another halftime show that involved dancing, tricks, and throwing shoes. Truly a beautiful moment as Joshua and Pedro had shoes pummeled at their faces.
EABH’s stellar offense and defense kept strong in the second half. Julia Barros (1) had not let any opposing team score a goal this season and Gabriela Carvalho (9) continued to showcase her amazing soccer abilities by maintaining the ball far away from the Lady Hawks’ goal. During the game, EABH’s audience started chanting similarly to a wood of whales. A coach came to stop them but, as she departed, the fuss continued. EABH was at their best, and everyone kept playing amazing while the Nations team seemed to begin freaking out. EABH was safely playing 1x0 but Laura Calixto scored another goal near the end of the game (2x0)! Victory was so close you could taste it, and the entire EABH audience lined up in support to run up to the girls. Finally, the whistle blew and marked the end of the Lady Hawks’ journey at ISSL -- and what a victorious one!
After the high fives were exchanged between two teams, EABH ran to the Lady Hawks. Everyone was crying, dancing, and chanting “Campeão”. That moment was so heartfelt there was not a dry eye, even amongst audience members. The Lady Hawks jumped in the ISSL pool together afterwards, bringing a beautiful end to an amazing ISSL for the girls. After so many years, EABH has finally brought back gold and the whole school is immeasurably proud of our girls for that!
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