![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Varsity girls soccer drew with Menlo 1-1 at home in the season’s first league match on Jan. 9.
Menlo scored 28 minutes into the second half after a scoreless first half.
Co-captain and forward Claire Anderson (11) scored a free kick to equalize with 10 minutes remaining in the match.
“It’s about keeping the ball down, picking a spot and placing it,” Claire said. “If you have a spot, it’s going in. My mindset is right in the corner, the one the goalie’s not in.”
The Knights’ offense dominated from the kickoff. Despite the Eagles’ slow offensive start, their defense locked down the Knights, overtaking possession near halftime. This pattern continued throughout the second half, building up to the Eagles’ counter to Menlo’s goal.
“We wanted to frustrate them, make them break us down, which I thought worked really well in spurts,” Head coach Joel Mthombeni said. “But we conceded the first goal purely because our energy was a little low.”
Harker failed to capitalize on a burst of momentum with four missed shots within a 10 minute span late in the first half. Menlo attempted four shots throughout the first half and three in the second, applying constant pressure against the Eagles’ defense.
“I’d like to have consistent performance throughout the game,” Mthombeni said. “I don’t want to play well the last 15 minutes or the first five minutes.”
Co-captain and center-back Cynthia Wang (12) said the team hopes to improve their stamina and transitions between plays. She praised the defensive mid-block execution.
“I’m proud of how everyone stepped up and pressed the team as hard as they could, and in the end, we got a nice goal out of it,” Cynthia said. “Of course, we want to get the win next time.”
The Eagles’ current record is 5-4-2, and the team plays Notre Dame San Jose next at home on Tuesday.
Additional reporting by Ananya Sriram.
