Martlets Fall to Pelicans

Westminster took on the Loomis Chaffee Pelicans under the lights on Hovey Field on Friday evening. The Martlets knew going into the game that it would be a tough, back and forth contest as it is each year these two teams met. From the first whistle, Loomis pushed the pace and challenged the Martlets all over the field. Sophia Peterson ‘24, Allysen Whitehead ‘25, and Sydney Courtmanche ‘24 had a busy night in the midfield as the quick transitions required a lot of movement out of them as they worked to connect the two sides of the field. Peterson stepped up on many loose balls in the midfield to hold possession for the Martlets in the attacking end. Her efforts earned her the team’s Player of the Game Hat! Loomis opened the scoring when they took advantage of a self-start inside the 25 yard line and, after finding an open player on the dotted line to pass to, sent a ball into a crowd in front where a Pelican was open to collect and put into Westminster’s cage. The Martlets spent the remainder of the first half looking to answer Loomis’ lead. Westminster earned a corner as the clock was expiring. Loomis did a great job defending, however the Martlets continued to earn corners with the clock at 0:00. On the third attempt, Olivia Emerson ‘24 collected a rebound on the back post to tie the game at 1-1. The Martlets did a better job managing the pace of play in the second half and settling into the back and forth affair. Unfortunately, some unforced turnovers caused the Pelicans to have several breaks down the field and one led to an odd-numbered rush where Loomis was able to take a 2-1 lead. Westminster used the last 15 minutes on the clock to push the offense, however we're not able to connect and piece it all together to tie the game. Westminster returns to action next week with two home games against Hotchkiss and Williston leading into the Fall Long Weekend.