Sports Highlights 09.22.2014

First Girls’ Soccer
First Girls’ Soccer played two hard-fought games this week, losing the first and tying the second but showing much promise for the rest of the season. The girls fell to Deerfield 4-1 on Wednesday afternoon in a game that was much closer than the score would imply. Westminster started out strong but trailed 1-0 by the end of the first half. Early in the second, Sally Sandoval ’15 tied the game, and the Martlets looked geared to take control. Deerfield stepped up their effort, though, and scored three more times, including one goal off of a penalty kick. The squad came out stronger on Saturday against Wilbraham & Monson Academy, finishing the game in a 3-3 tie. After being down 2-0 in the first half, Westminster fought back to tie the score 2-2 just minutes later on goals from Sally Sandoval ’15 and Katherine Eckerson ‘17. Wilbraham scored just before the half, taking a 3-2 lead into the second, but the Martlets came out in the second half playing with more energy and grit, winning the 50/50 balls and pressing forward. Late in the game, Meg Richard '15 scored on a cross from Katie Deveaux '16 to tie up the game. It was a very solid performance by all, with toughness and good team communication.
 
First Boys’ Soccer
First Boys' Soccer got two huge wins this week over always-tough opponents Taft and Suffield. The boys played with exceptional tenacity on Wednesday afternoon, throwing Taft off their game early and continuing to keep the pressure on for the entirety of the game. With six seconds left in the first half, JP Schuhlen '16 rocketed a ball from a set piece just outside of the box, finding the upper corner of the goal and securing a 1-0 lead at the half. No goals were scored in the second, but the game was fast-paced and intense, with both teams pressing forward. The Martlets were able to hold their lead in the end, and the bench rushed the field to celebrate the big victory with their teammates. The team carried this momentum into a big night game under the lights on Friday night. In front of a raucous home crowd, the Martlets beat a scrappy Suffield team 2-1.
 
First Field Hockey
First Field Hockey extended their winning record to 4-0 after defeating Milton Academy and Sacred Heart this week. Westminster was slow to start on Wednesday afternoon and struggled to get their energy and focus together in the opening half against Milton. Still, the Martlets controlled the first half with a number of shots on goal and penalty corner opportunities, which they failed to convert. The group came out in second half with heightened energy and quickly put away two goals, the first from Catherine Crawley ’16 and the next from Eliza Mell ’16, finishing the game with a 2-0 victory. On Saturday, after a disastrously timed bus break down, Westminster's squad proved that nothing could stop them, beating Sacred Heart 4-0. Eliza Mell '16 scored the first goal, assisted by Sarah Migliori '16. The play was beautiful in the first half, with stellar passing and pressure on the ball. After halftime, Catherine Crawley '16 tipped in the second goal off a strong insert by Maddy Paro '17. Stina Ladd '15 slipped the third goal past the goalie with a perfectly placed reverse stick shot. Susanna Baker '15 finished the day for the Martlets with a shot from the top. Both wins highlighted Westminster’s airtight defense, including key saves from Leah Klassen ‘17, strong sweeper play from Maddie Bologa ‘17, and energetic performances from Ashley Carbone ’16.
 
First Football
Martlets' First Football lost a hard-fought season opener to Williston Northampton, a perennially successful team that rarely has a losing season. WNS scored the first touchdown early in the first quarter, but the Black and Gold struck right back with a 14-yard touchdown pass from David Ryan '15 to Tyler Buckley '15 on their next drive. The second quarter was tougher for the Martlets, with a safety and a touchdown with a two-point conversion putting the team down by 10 at the half. Though another touchdown in the third put the team in a 17-point hole, they fought back, scoring 22 in the fourth on a 14-yard TD reception by David Carter '15, a 5-yard TD reception by Ben Feola '15, and an amazing 61-yard TD reception by Buckley again. Unfortunately, WNS was able to score near the end of the game, taking a 7-point lead that they would hold for the win. It was a barn-burner to open the season, with plenty of positives to take despite the loss.
 
Cross-Country
Westminster’s Boys’ and Girls' Cross-Country opened their season on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the Canterbury Invitational, an event that brings together a fast field of runners from New England, New York and New Jersey. The teams raced in Division I against a tough field of top runners, finishing 7th and 9th out of 10 teams, respectively, but giving a great effort and showing promise for the rest of the season. In the boys Division 1 race, a very fast field took off for the first mile; just to put it in perspective, the last runner came through the mile mark in under 6:10. Aaron Rubin '15 opened up with a 4:54, hanging with the leaders and moving into second place for much of the race. He eventually was outkicked and finished third, but still ran a lifetime best (16:42), moving him up to the second fastest Martlet time in the past 15 years. The rest of the boys team did well, too. The next four were all within 30 seconds of each other and all under 20 minutes. Kyle Keir '15 was 3 seconds off his lifetime best and Andrew Lee '17 was only 5 seconds off his.
 
The Girls’ team also had an impressive performance, racing faster as a team than they had at the Choate Invitational; in fact, the average speed improved by over a minute. Three girls broke 23 minutes, which is a very competitive top three, and tri-captain Lauren Boures '17 broke her lifetime best by over 20 seconds on a slow course while under the weather. Grace Brentano '16, returning from a year layoff, also ran her lifetime best this weekend.
 
Second Boys’ Soccer
Second Boys’ Soccer split their games this week, losing 3-1 against a scrappy Taft squad on Wednesday and winning over Suffield 2-0 on Saturday. The opening half on Wednesday was fairly even, with both teams fighting for the ball and neither team allowing a goal. The game really opened up in the second half, as both teams looked to score but left themselves open for attack. Westminster drew first blood with a goal in the 50th minute from Arthur Szopa ’17, but Taft roared back with three unanswered goals to end the game. On Saturday afternoon, the squad tightened up their defense and defeated Suffield 2-0 in an effort that kept Suffield on their heels. Ken Barnes ‘16 had a breakout game, scoring a goal and contributing with a few more opportunities. Suffield fought to the end, but Westminster's back four of Jack Horrigan '16, Dylan Moser '15, Zach Orzech '16 and Connor llyod '16 held their ground. Cal LeClair '17 and Hartwell Green '16 added depth to the defensive unit and logged critical minutes. Patrick Dawson '18 got his second start in a row and was solid in net, playing the entire 80 minutes. The boys look to capitalize on this momentum next week.
 
Second Girls’ Soccer
Second Girls’ Soccer won both of their games this week over two tough opponents. The squad defeated Deerfield for the first time in Coach Duddy’s 9-season tenure with the Martlets, With smart passing, aggressive play and maintained intensity, they handily won 4-1. Natalie Wilson '18 played stellar offense, having a hand in three of the four team goals either by scoring herself, assisting a goal, or by making a big play happen. Olivia Bey '15 made some great stops and recovery runs at sweeper, and Kaitlyn McCausland '16 had a strong game at center midfield, a new position for her. The team gave another energetic and aggressive performance on Saturday afternoon, beating Wilbraham & Monson Academy 7-0. Natalie Wilson dominated, scoring four goals today and making great plays all over the field. It was truly a phenomenal individual effort. Alyssa DiMaria '15 also had several great opportunities, in addition to scoring a goal. Overall, it was a solid team effort to maintain possession and play smart defense, preventing W&M from gaining any offensive momentum and capping off a great week for the girls.
 
Second Field Hockey
Second Field Hockey played dominant defense this week, shutting out Ethel Walker and NMH in consecutive games to open their season. Like their teammates on the First Girls’ squad, the Second Girls’ Field Hockey team opened their season with an impressive win over Ethel Walker on Wednesday afternoon. The girls shut out EWS 4-0, displaying an air-tight defensive performance that put the pressure on their opponent for the entire game. Speed, intensity and great communication created scoring opportunities for Fraser Allen ‘17, Morgan Peirce ‘17 and Erin Gorham ’16. The team then took to Hovey field on Saturday afternoon to face off against NMH, controlling the game from the opening whistle. The Martlets were tenacious and persistent, putting three goals into the net in the first half, one from Gorham and two from Alaina Bisson ’15, and adding another two in the second from Nina Wilmerding '15 and Fraser Allen ’17, while shutting down NMH with another high-intensity defensive performance. Bisson'15 had a phenomenal game, playing both midfield and wing for the Martlets, and Lucy Noel '18 had a great play at the end of the game, making a very important clear out of the circle after NMH had their only corner of the game.
 
Third Boys’ Soccer
Westminster's Third Boys' Soccer got off to a great start to this season, trouncing an always physical Salisbury squad 5-1. The boys had great intensity throughout the game, and had a decisive edge in winning 50/50 balls. Jack Flanagan '17 had a monster game, scoring two goals in the first half and another in the second. Owen Johnson '17 and Brian Connell '16 were also able to find the back of the net. It was a great effort from top to bottom, and the boys look to continue their success through the rest of the season.