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McLean’s boys soccer team surrendered a decisive goal with 15 minutes remaining in a 2-1 loss to Westfield on March 26.

The Highlanders entered the match hoping to build on their season-opening victory over Alexandria City, but Westfield seized control early. Just 10 minutes into the game, the Bulldogs collected the ball near the top of the penalty area and finished into the upper-left corner for a 1-0 lead.

“We played really well in our first game,” senior defender Andrew Zhang said. “Westfield is a really good team, so we knew our work was cut out for us.”

McLean struggled to advance against Westfield’s possession before adopting a high press that put the Bulldogs’ defenders under pressure. Senior midfielders Luke Hamel and Charlie Lannin began directing play in the middle and generating opportunities for the Highlanders’ attack.

The pressure paid off with 10 minutes left in the first half. Junior forward Josh Barnes broke through the Westfield defense, faced the goalkeeper one-on-one and calmly placed his shot into the lower-left corner to tie the match at 1-1.

“After the first half, we felt like we played well, but left some potential goals on the table,” Zhang said.

McLean continued creating chances after halftime, but Westfield’s goalkeeper delivered several strong saves. The Bulldogs then caught the Highlanders on a counterattack and used a numbers advantage to score the deciding goal with 15 minutes remaining.

McLean could not find another equalizer before the final whistle.

“The loss was disappointing but it’s still early in the season,” senior defender Atul Kotamoraju said. “We obviously didn’t play our best, but it’s better to get these games out of the way early in the season.”

The Highlanders will try to rebound against Lake Braddock on April 6 while keeping their attention on their postseason ambitions.

“We aren’t going to let one small bump in the road deter us from our end goal,” Kotamoraju said. “We still have the ability to be successful in the postseason and we will do everything we can to achieve that.”