Following a devastating loss to Churchill early in September, the Patriots looked to bounce back and continue their road to states.
The Patriots travelled to Poolesville on Sept. 23 on route to continue their dominance. Senior forward Rachel Feldman netted the first and only goal of the first half off a through ball from senior midfielder Michelle Su.
In the second half, Feldman crossed a ball that was deflected off a Poolesville defender for an own goal. Junior defender Jillian Gonzales played a ball right to junior forward Alex Poltorak for the third goal of the game. Following a foul in the box, senior defender Jenna Cohen lined up to take a penalty kick and got it past the keeper. Junior forward Sarah Dellapa put the finishing touches on the Patriots’ win with a goal, giving the girls a 5-0 victory.
“We wanted to come out with a chip on our shoulder, and we were ready to play, senior defender Emma Weinstein said.
The girls squared off against Gaithersburg at home on Sept. 20 and came away with a crushing 4-0 victory. The Patriots came out with a spark, leading to chance after chance but struggled to capitalize. Finally, Su played a through ball to junior defender Caroline Wang who found the back of the net off a chip shot on a breakaway. The girls never looked back, notching another goal by Feldman off another through ball by Su. Junior midfielder Deanna Schaeffer launched a 20 yard shot over the head of the Trojan’s keeper, putting the Patriots up 3-0.
Entering the second half with a considerable lead, the Gaithersburg keeper kept the game somewhat close. With many chances, the girls could not get the ball passed the goalie until Gonzales topped it off with a goal off a free kick after a foul was committed by the Trojans.
The Patriots travelled to Clarksburg on Sept. 15 to face off against a tough Coyotes team, yet came out victorious with a 2-0 win.
The Patriots did not have the start they were hoping for, giving up chances to the Coyotes and struggling offensively. Junior goalkeeper Jill Geline stood on her head as the half miraculously ended in a 0-0 tie.
Coming out in the second half, the Patriots knew the Coyotes wouldn’t let up. The girls kept fighting and drew first blood as senior Jenna Cohen headed the ball into the net off a cross from Schaeffer. Following the goal by Cohen, the girls quickly added to their lead as Wang got her own rebound of her shot that struck the post. A spectacular performance by Geline and the rest of the defense lead the Patriots to their 2-0 victory over the Coyotes.
“Despite the hard effort [Clarksburg] put forth, we were able to connect passes and successfully score two goals,” Feldman said.
The girls have the lowest goals against in the county, with only allowing one goal thanks to a spectacular start to the season by Geline and junior goalkeeper Andie Stave.
The Patriots face Seneca Valley on Sept. 26, is too late to be covered in this issue.

Nic Band

Opinion Editor