Varsity girls’ soccer gained another win toward their 5-1-1 record after their 9-0 win against Northwood on Sept. 25.
The team played Sherwood on Sept. 23 in a challenge for both teams. At the start of the game, it began raining, which, for a turf field, is not an ideal condition. “I think the rain affected the game slightly as the ball was quicker on the ground and more slippery to control, but nothing we couldn’t handle,” senior Maddie Zincke said.
Regardless of the added difficulty caused by the rain, both teams were able to keep up aggression and stamina throughout the first half, having chances to score, but no shots were made, leading to a nil score at halftime. “I would say we were definitely the stronger team because we were able to connect more passes and create more scoring opportunities,” junior Megan Lomotan said.
One attempted goal in particular, for Sherwood, almost made its way to the net, but Zincke stopped the ball just before it made its way past the line. “I feel prideful about that save because if I hadn’t stayed determined to get there in time, the result of the game would’ve most likely been a tie,” Zincke said.
Momentum turned around for the team at the start of the second half when they were awarded a free kick, which senior Bianca Diamond took. Headed straight for the goal, it was blocked by Sherwood’s goalkeeper, but the offense crashed the net, and junior Lilly Kendall scored the first goal of the evening. “I’m really happy that I was able to score and help my team secure the win,” Kendall said.
The team kept up their aggression and continued fighting for possession, keeping the ball mainly on Sherwood’s side of the field. A few minutes of back and forth between both teams later, it was a straight shot for Kendall, making it 2-0 Patriots. “I think I performed well but a big part of that is because we all worked as a team and played well the whole game, which gave us scoring opportunities. It was a great performance from our whole team and I think the win gave us confidence moving forward in the season,” Kendall said.
Both teams continued to play aggressively and the defense kept up with the attacks Sherwood’s offense brought their way, with two saved shots by goalkeeper sophomore Claire Weed. But with only 29 seconds left on the clock, Sherwood was awarded a free kick, which went straight into the goal. “I was pretty frustrated because [the goal] was so late in the game, and we should have had a shutout, but in the end, we still won, so it’s not too big of a deal,” Lomotan said.
This year, the varsity and junior varsity games have been a little more chaotic than in previous years, but both teams are still working hard. “I always have a positive outlook on the season; I always think that we are going to be competitive in every single game; that shouldn’t be any different this year, but we do have a difficult stretch in the middle. We have a weird schedule this year where we play a lot of games in a row, like three games in four or five days,” varsity coach Chris Thompson said.
Nonetheless, their effort this season has remained unchanged; Varsity has kept their aggression and desire for the win at a high from their first game against Poolesville on Sept. 11, which resulted in a 3-1 win. “I think our team has been performing really well throughout the season and only getting better. Everybody has a great work ethic and keeps one another motivated, which shows on the field,” Zincke said.
