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SG Soccer: Impressive Runner-up Finish at the SIT
After a full week of tryouts and practices and figuring out positions and getting to know each other, your Senior Girls Soccer Spartans faced real competition for the first time this past Saturday with the 2025 edition of the Stanstead Invitational Tournament. Over the last four decades, the SIT has become not only an annual highlight for our players and fans, but visiting schools REALLY love it.
It is such a friendly and competitive day early in everyone’s season, and thanks to our Athletic Director, Mr. Spirk, we always put on a great show for our visitors with our fields, our dining hall and our welcoming community. And once again, the SIT did not disappoint – all day Saturday our picturesque campus was filled with the sights and sounds of friendly competition and athletic camaraderie.
In terms of the soccer, your Spartans did some good things (and some very good things) over the course of our three round-robin games (3-1 vs BCS, 2-0 vs ECS, and 0-1 vs LCC);
- After a scoreless first half vs BCS (we had outplayed them, but scoring is tough in soccer), Zoey kept it scoreless with the Save Of The Game, somehow stopping a tricky shot that deflected only 10 feet in front of her with a rattlesnake-quick right hand. Being down 1-0 at that point would have been demoralizing – that save was HUGE.
- In fact, it was right after the rattlesnake save that Hailey smartly stole a BCS goalkick, took a settling touch and launched a missile over the keeper from 25 yards out for the first Spartan goal of the season – what a shot!
- That goal seemed to settle us down, as Rafaelle scored soon afterwards, clinically finishing low right corner after splitting the opposing defence right up the middle and coming in alone on the keeper.
- That said, my favourite goal of the day came 5 minutes later, when Hailey (who had her fingerprints all over this game and deservedly earns Player Of The Game honours) , surrounded in the 18, laid a perfect pass back to Charlotte at the top of the box, who one-timed a rocket that the keeper couldn’t help but spill, right onto the foot of a hard-charging Eve who put the rebound home. High soccer IQ from all concerned there – just a beautiful goal.
- To show how well Zoe and Julia played at right defence and left defence, they allowed ZERO crosses all game. Their combination of speed, balance and body position make them very tough to beat one on one.
- Our 2-0 win vs ECS was the highlight of the tournament. Not only did we play well but the entire school came out to support us. Students and teachers and parents lining the sidelines. Boys with letters painted on their chests spelling out S-T-A-N-S-T-E-A-D. Mr Marino leading the cheers. Facepaint and signs and wavy noodle things. Yep, the players were nervous. But, wow, did they ever step up and give their best! Communication and spacing improved from the first game. Our midfielders owned the centre of the field. We consistently stole their goal kicks. We were first to every ball, we played to space, and we applied pressure the entire game. And maybe most impressively, we did not back down from OR overreact to our opponents’ physicality.
- Highlight Of The Match: Lexi pulling a series of Houdini footwork moves on a big, strong midfielder that tried to push Lexi around on the right sideline directly in front of our fans, and our fans going absolutely NUTS in reply. A cool moment, there…
- Rafaelle not only scored her second goal of the day in this game, converting a smart pass from Eve, but also earned a spot on Instagram. Or is it called a “story”? Or was that ChatBook? Snapface?...
- Player Of The Game vs ECS goes to Charlotte, whose positioning and zero-hesitation play at defensive mid was spot on and whose quick, aggressive throwins (legal? I guess so…) consistently gained field position.
- As we were both 2-0, the last game vs LCC represented a true SIT final, but LCC was too good for us on this day. They moved the ball the way we want to move the ball. In fact, it was good for the players to see it, even if it meant spending most of the game chasing. But your Spartans never gave up, led by Player Of The Game Zoe, whose performance at right defence was exceptional. Under constant duress, she refused to be beaten 1-v-1, forcing LCC to find some other place to attack.
Ultimately, our 2 wins vs 1 loss record earned us the runner-up plaque, the best SIT finish for a Stanstead team in the last six years. Overall, Coach Goodsell and I are thrilled with the progress we made on the day and how bright the future looks. We played tough, we played focused, we tried to learn from our mistakes, and, of course, we polished off those donuts in no time flat 😊.
Great tournament, ladies!
Next up, our first ETIAC league game vs the defending regular season champs, Massey-Vanier, this Tuesday. The chase for the ETIAC banner starts now. Here we go!
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