Iron Rose FC continues to show growth in loss

For the second time this season, Iron Rose FC went toe to toe with the Women's Premier Soccer League's gold standard. This time, California Storm proved why it sits atop the standings. Erica Grilione scored twice in the second half to lift the Storm to a 3-1 victory Thursday night at West Park High School, breaking a 1-1 halftime tie in a matchup between the NorCal Conference's top two teams. While the result snapped an opportunity for a signature win and all but dashed their playoff hopes, it did little to change the bigger picture surrounding Iron Rose's season. Just one year removed from a difficult campaign, Iron Rose has transformed into one of the conference's top contenders. Entering Thursday's match, the club sat second in the standings with a 4-2-1 record, and after earning a 1-1 draw at California Storm earlier this season, showed it could compete with one of the league's premier programs. Head coach Andrew Shuter said that growth has been evident throughout the season. "I'm really proud of the way this group has grown and come together this season," Shuter said. "Obviously, a big change is never easy, but what they've shown us as a coaching staff and just as individuals is not comparable to last year." Shuter pointed to the team's culture as the biggest difference this season "Summer leagues are difficult. We're bringing girls in from different schools and different philosophies of coaches," he said. "I just think what they've done and bought into is huge. Our big word this year has been 'together.' it's just a night-and-day difference from last season." Iron Rose had another chance to showcase that mentality Thursday. After falling behind late in the first half from a Storm goal on a corner kick, Iron Rose's Jocelyn Pearcy tied the match 1-1 against a Storm squad that entered the night unbeaten, having allowed just two goals all season. Grilione, a Stanford forward and West Park graduate, ultimately made the difference, scoring in the 51st and 58th minutes to put the Storm in control. Even after conceding twice in seven minutes, Shuter liked how his team continued to compete. "They're just resilient," he said. "You could drop your head whenever you concede, but this group hasn't done that all season, and they didn't do that tonight. So nothing but positives from my end for them, just their work rate and resilience." California Storm has spent decades establishing itself as one of the WPSL's flagship organizations, winning multiple national championships and consistently competing for conference titles. Iron Rose matched the Storm for stretches in both meetings this season. Now, the focus shifts to a quick turnaround as Iron Rose looks to close the regular season on a positive note against FC Davis on Saturday. The message from Shuter to his team is simple: Keep a short memory. " 'Mind of a goldfish,' right?" he said. "Just forget what happened now. There's nothing we can do about this game anymore. So putting on a show and a performance on Saturday."