Sports Highlights 09.29.2014

Westminster’s First Football team got their first win of the season in decisive fashion, thrashing St. Thomas More School 42-12. On a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon, the Martlets came out strong and never let up, scoring 32 points in the first half and heading into halftime with a 32-0 lead. Though the team gave up 12 in the second half, the defensive group played an overall exceptional game, highlighted by two vital goal line stands and an interception returned 93-yards for a touchdown by Adrian Enchill ’17. The offense continued to control the clock in the third and fourth quarters, adding 10 more points to their total. Quarterback David Ryan ’15 had a great game, passing for 157 total yards, but most impressive was David Carter ’15. The tri-captain gained 248 yards on 19 carries and set a school record with 5 rushing touchdowns!

 

First Girls’ Soccer notched another win for their season on Wednesday afternoon, hammering Kent 8-0. The team played a solid first half, taking a 2-0 lead with goals from Mary French ’15 and Jacqui Richard ‘16. They turned it up a notch in the second half, recording an amazing 6 goals while still playing shut-down defense and keeping Kent out of the net. Early in the half, Sally Sandoval ‘15 ripped the ball into the net. Shortly after, Richard scored, and then Sandoval scored again. Not wanting to be left out, Emma Merlin ‘16 and Eliza Christman ‘15 decided to get in on the action and each put one in the back of the net. While the game was already over, Lexi Miller ‘15 scored with just 11 seconds left on the clock.

 

First Field Hockey improved their record to 6-0 on the season this week, taking out league opponents Kent and Choate Rosemary Hall. Despite a slow start on Wednesday, Suzanna Baker ’15 and Stina Ladd ’15 capitalized in the first 10 minutes of the game to take a 2-0 early lead. Kent's forwards had some threatening opportunities in the defensive circle, but Leah Klassen ’17 kept them at bay with some key saves in net, which kept momentum in favor of the Martlets. Catherine Crawley ‘16 played a great first half on the left wing, working the ball up the field with some impressive elimination skills to carry the ball into the circle for some offensive opportunities. The young Maggie Kelly ‘18 stood out on the forward line during the second half. Later, Baker exploded onto a loose ball coming off of Kent's defensive end, dribbling the ball into the circle and scoring (unassisted) off of a hard shot from the top. In the final stretch, Ladd collected a ball and swept it in for the final goal of the game.

 

The team faced the Choate Wild Boars in a big Founders League matchup on Saturday afternoon. The girls did not disappoint, as they roasted the Boars 4-1. Things started evenly, as the first 10 minutes featured back and forth play in the midfield between the two squads. With persistence and tenacity, Westminster was eventually able to work the ball into the circle and had several penalty corner opportunities, but struggled finishing in front of a solid Choate Goalkeeper. Sarah Migliori ‘16 was finally able to get the Martlets on the board after Eliza Mell ‘16 ripped a hard shot in toward net, creating an opportunity for Migliori to redirect the ball. The second half featured stronger play by the black and gold, especially after Choate put in a shot from the top of the circle to tie the game at 1-1. The Martlets really came alive in the last 15 minutes of play with three quick goals, two by Crawley and another by Migliori, to secure a decisive win. The Martlets continued to dominate on defense this week. Kendall Brown ‘17 and Mell played well in the midfield with strong sticks and persistent play, while Ashley Carbone ‘16, Maddy Paro ‘17 and Maddie Bologa ‘17 diminished their opponents’ offensive opportunities, including shutting down penalty corners and scoring chances.

 

Westminster hosted the Richard Miller Invitational on Saturday afternoon, joined by Cross-Country teams from all over the state. On an incredibly difficult home course, and in an unusually balmy September heat, Aaron Rubin ‘15 took the number one spot against a field of over 60 other runners!

 

Rubin deserves huge accolades for his performance. This is the first time that a Martlet has won the Boys’ race at the RMI, a typically fast and experienced field. On the final lap around the track, Rubin demonstrated what a lot of hard work over many months allows Martlets to be able to do; he was able to out-kick the two excellent runners from Kent (one of them won the Founders League title last year) with confidence.

 

Second Boys’ Soccer kept their heads up after a tough loss to a very talented Choate team on Wednesday and finished the week strong with a hard-fought tie against rival Pomfret on Saturday. Midway through the first half, Ken Barnes '16 ripped the ball into the net and the Martlets took momentum. While other chances arose, the boys struggled to find the back of the net a second time against a Pomfret goalie that had an outstanding game, and finished with a 1-1 tie.

 

Second Girls’ Soccer continued to steamroll the opposition, pitching shutouts on the pitch in consecutive wins this week. On Wednesday, the girls took out Kent 7-0. Kiley Loureiro '15 gave a solid performance at forward, earning many opportunities to score. Though she didn't find the back of the net, her footwork and strong shot will be sure to pay off soon. Mary Kille '18 continued to make huge, pinpoint crosses, and Emily Burstein '17 had a breakout game at midfield, scoring once and assisting two goals. Alyssa DiMaria ‘15 had a monster game, scoring a hat trick and netting all three goals in the second half, while Natalie Wilson ‘18 earned her impressive seventh goal in four games. Next, Westminster knew that they would face a strong, determined group of Choate players on Saturday afternoon. Only six minutes in, a bouncing ball resulted in a handball against Choate. Wilson sent a bullet of a shot to the near corner during the ensuing penalty kick. Though Westminster dominated play in the first half, with nearly 10 shots and many more crosses, the game stalled at 1-0 after 40 minutes of play. That all changed less than one minute into the second half, when Claire Hotaling '16 sent a perfect through ball to Wilson, who beat a defender and put a hard shot in the back of the net. Minutes later, the defense started a string of nice passes out of the defensive end and put the ball in perfect position for Wilson's third goal of the day. Selvala got the assist, thanks to an excellent pass to Wilson, who earned her second hat trick of the season by sending a low, hard shot under the Choate goalie. With a 3-0 margin, the Martlets continued to focus on maintaining possession and pressuring the Boars' defense. With the exception of one close call in the final moments of the game, Westminster managed to shut down Choate's attempts to gain offensive momentum. All 22 Martlets played with enormous grit and grace this week; they worked hard, stayed focused, and played as a team.

 

The Martlets’ Second Field Hockey squad, not to be outdone by the First, kept their undefeated season alive this week as they beat Kent 4-0 and then took out Choate 7-1. The team had a tough time playing together in the first half on Wednesday, but they managed to gel after halftime and played some great field hockey in the second. Co-captain Nina Wilmerding '15 had a great game, with her first hat trick of the season and two assists on the day. Julia Carter '16 stepped up her play as the center midfield, making great connections from the defense to the forwards. On Saturday, the girls maintained their momentum, stepping out onto their home field prepared for a tough Choate squad, winning 6-0 and improving their record to 4-0. The Martlets exhibited impeccable passing through the midfield up to the forward line and took shots on the Choate goalie whenever possible. Morgan Peirce '17 had some stellar plays, making sure to distribute the ball quickly and often. Every girl on the forward line played with grit through the high temperatures and fast pace of the game. Aubrey Moulton '15 and Alaina Bisson '15 were also key in the midfield throughout the game.

 

After tying a skilled Choate team 1-1 on Wednesday, Third Boys’ Soccer stepped up their game against rival Pomfret and dominated their opponent in a 7-0 victory. The Martlets got on the board midway through the first half when James Lee ‘17 found Jason Chung ‘17 in the center of the field and Jason buried a low line drive into the right corner of the net. Shortly after the first goal, David Swenson ‘15 made a great run down the left side of the field and made a beautiful cross to Chris Connal ’16, who redirected the cross past the Pomfret keeper. Just before halftime, Arthur Renehan ‘17 knocked home a corner kick from Derin Ozturk ‘15 to put the boys ahead 3-0 going into the intermission. The Martlets came out flying in the second half with Ozturk driving another shot to the upper corner from outside the box to make it 4-0. Brendan Jacobs ‘17 then scored twice in a row, including a penalty kick after being taken down in the box. Tyler Rome ‘17 completed the scoring with a spectacular one-timer into the lower right corner of the goal. All in all, a great effort for the Third squad, who controlled the game from the opening whistle.

 

Coming off of a tough loss on Wednesday, Fourth Boys’ Soccer dusted themselves off and came back stronger on Saturday, clipping the wings of the Avon Old Farms Winged Beavers in a 2-1 victory. Max Torrez '18 scored in the first half on an assist from SK Lee '18. Minutes later Torrez served a beautiful cross to Jake Szykownky '17 for a 2-0 Martlet lead. AoF scored late in the half cut the lead to 2-1 by intermission. Stone Brown '17 lived up to his name in the second, becoming a stone wall in the back and preventing the Beavers from gnawing into the lead. Justin Kooi '18 and Torrez were outstanding in goal, and though AoF had a few scoring chances late in the game, Brown and the rest of the defense bent but did not break, holding on for the win.