The Somerville High girls' soccer team is on the verge of tournament elimination following an 0-2-1 week.

By Mike Rubin

Not long ago, the Somerville High School girls soccer team was virtually a lock for the tournament. Now after a tough 1-6 stretch, the Highlanders are now at 6-7-4 and are on the verge of elimination.

With two games remaining, the Highlanders must obtain at least a win and a tie against Medford and Austin Prep to qualify.

While the Highlanders didn’t record a loss to Matignon on Friday, a 2-2 tie made its quest for the tournament a more difficult one to endure.

“We thought we were going to have a chance to win,” said coach Jason Lenicheck. We just lost focus at the most opportune times, and now it’s do or die time for us.”

With a 2-1 lead with just under four minutes remaining in last Friday’s Senior Day, against Matigon, the Highlanders’ hopes for a victory were dashed.

With 3:43 remaining, Taylor O’Byrne received a cross in front of the Highlander net, and fired a shot past goalkeeper Kelsey Garrity as Matignon preserved the tie.

The Warriors, who improved to 10-8-1 overall, grabbed a 1-0 lead, capitalizing on a penalty kick with just over 10:00 remaining in the first half.

Facing a 1-0 deficit, the Highlanders bounced back and tied the contest, as sophomore sensation Natalie Henrique landed a shot into the back of the net with less than two minutes remaining, tying the contest at 1-1.

Early in the second half, the Highlanders engineered a 2-1 lead as Marrara Goncalves lifted a high shot from the 40-yard line that sailed into the back of the net.

“We have a bit of an uphill struggle over the last pair of games,” said Leincheck. “We need at least a win and a tie against first Medford (on Tuesday) and then Austin Prep (on Wednesday).”

In a non-league match-up against Lowell, the Highlanders suffered a tough 7-3 defeat. Through the first 35 minutes, the Highlanders were able to limit Lowell to little scoring opportunities. In just a two minute span, Lowell erupted for three unanswered goals en route to a 3-0 lead.

“Our defense was a bit shorthanded today and it looked like we lost a bit of focus and found ourselves down 3-0 in a span of just a couple of minutes as Lowell’s speed got the best of us with just five  minutes left in the first half,” said Leincheck.

Offensively, the Highlanders were led by Henrique, who recorded two goals while Jessica Menjivar added a tally.

In last Monday’s contest against Methuen, the Highlanders suffered a 3-0 shutout loss.