Martlets Get Win Number 13

After a delayed and long bus ride, the Martlets finally arrived in Sheffield this Saturday afternoon for their game against the Bears of Berkshire. Starting with the wind against them in the first half, the Martlets knew they needed to start strongly and leave little room for error. The gritty Bears had many moments of dominance throughout the half, as did the Martlets. A good battle, the Martlets held their own against the Bears and had a few early solid looks on net, none of which were finished. Keeper Elizabeth DiBlasi had multiple fantastic saves throughout the game and kept the Martlets alive and in the match. Finally, after 39 minutes of consistent hard work and gritty effort, Westminster was able to get their first goal on the board. Off of a beautifully served corner from Kaitlyn McQueeney ‘24, Haley Cramer ‘24 battled her way into the shuffle and was able to get a head on it and finish the ball into the goal. The Martlets entered the second half up 1-0, but knew they would need to continue with their level of play to secure the win. Right at the whistle, Westminster continued to play with a strong attacking mindset and with plenty of grit and grace. Cramer had another solid look on the net within the first four minutes, but it hit the outside post and was cleared by the Bears. With 26 minutes left, however, Cramer was able to get her second goal. After McQueeney took a rocket shot that hit the crossbar, Cramer was there to finish the ball with poise. Despite being up two goals, the Martlets were hungry for more. With five minutes remaining, Kalilah Akbar ‘23 looked up and played a great leading ball to McQueeney who dribbled into the box and had a nice look on the net which hit the far post. Thankfully, Catherine Graves ‘24 was there for the rebound and finished the ball with power and accuracy. A huge shoutout to the backline - anchored by Bianca D’Onofrio ‘23 and Maya Goddard ‘26, and supported by outside backs Mia Davis ‘24 and Akbar ‘23 - and DiBlasi for protecting the net for the full 80 minutes. With this win, the Martlets are 13-2 on the season. They look forward to honoring their seniors this upcoming Wednesday, November 9th at 3:00 pm. The Martlets will play against the Griffins of Pomfret at home.