Menlo comes alive in 2nd half of its Nor Cal opener

“We have struggled to score,” Menlo head coach Ross Ireland said. “Our goal scoring, I think they had 23 in 28 games, which is quite low. But we have such an amazingly stingy defense, which is why we’ve been so effective. That gives them confidence that they can do it again.”

So, when Ireland’s squad got to halftime locked in a scoreless tie with visiting Terra Linda in the CIF Northern California Division IV opener, it seemed like a case of déja vu all over again.

Fortunately, senior midfielder Julia Axelrod had her prayer answered when she took aim for the game’s first goal in the 43rd minute. With a quick pass over the top, Axelrod took the ball with her back to the goal, created some space and relied on muscle memory to pound the shot into the upper 90.

“I kind of turned, and then on the turn I looked up really quickly and saw the goalie was slightly towards the other side,” Axelrod said, “and I just shot to where she wasn’t standing and said a prayer it would go in.”

Axelrod’s score opened the floodgates as No. 3-seed Menlo (11-3-7) rallied for a 3-1 victory over No. 6 Terra Linda Tuesday at Wunderlich Field in Atherton.

It wasn’t just the tally on the scoreboard that relaxed Axelrod’s teammates, but the manner in which she scored it. After centrifugal follow-through, Axelrod crashed to the turf as her shot sailed in. It’s not an uncommon perspective, she said, as Axelrod often finds herself on the floor.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Axelrod said. “I don’t know. I’ve always had a hard time fully turning my hip, so to make myself fully turn, I somehow always end up on the floor. But it’s worth it if I get the cross off or get the goal in.”

Menlo was on the attack most of the afternoon, and pressured for a majority of the first half. After sophomore Parker Sunwoo earned a shot on goal in the 18th minute, Menlo went right back on the attack, with Axelrod getting the team’s best chance in the 24th minute on a through ball from senior forward Krista Arreola, only to have her 1-v-1 attempt sail well over the post.

“I feel like we’re really good about keeping the ball in the half, but when it comes to finishing, it is harder for us,” Arreola said. “So, I think just trying to put it into the box, our strength is definitely getting from the corner in. Yeah, I think that’s where we work harder.”

The ability to navigate from the corner loomed large for the Knights after they went up 2-0. Arreola gave her team some cushion in the 56th minute when Axelrod threaded the needle through to the senior striker, and, this time, the 1-v-1 paid off as Arreola struck a grounder inside the right post.

“We talked about playing more on the front foot,” Ireland said of the second-half outburst. “Not passing so much, driving with the ball and obliging the team to step out of position. And I think they did that straight off the bat.”

Terra Linda (10-9-5) wasn’t done, as senior Sammie Foley connected with a corner kick to head it in to cut Menlo’s lead to 2-1 in the 77th minute.

Menlo got the goal back, though, this time by playing tic-tac-toe, with a crisp pass out of the corner by Arreola. Freshman defender Audrey Zhen advanced the ball to Arreola, who crossed it to another freshman, Anna Kossow, who had missed just a minute earlier on an open look that sailed over the crossbar. Not this time, as Kossow used the Nor Cal stage to score her first varsity goal.

“It’s really special for her,” Arreola said. “It’s her first varsity goal ... but it was really special. I know our whole team was rooting for our freshmen. We love them so much.”

Menlo’s three goals matches the team’s third best single-game goal total of the season. It’s the most goals the Knights have scored since Jan. 22, in a 4-0 win over Crystal.

With the win, the Knights advance to the Nor Cal semifinals for the second straight year. Menlo will take on second-seeded Twelve Bridges-Lincoln (15-4-1) at 5 p.m. Thursday in Lincoln in the Sierra foothills. The Raging Rhinos shut out No. 7 Shasta (11-9-3), 3-0.