‘They were a wall’
West Hants Middle junior girls defeat crosstown rivals during rainy league match
The field was soggy, but the junior girls of both West Hants Middle School and King’s-Edgehill School didn’t let that slow them down.
WHMS came out on top on Oct. 2, with a score of 4-0.
Jody Isenor, head coach of the WHMS junior girls soccer team, said she was impressed by how well the defensive line performed during the game.
“They were a wall, starting with our goalie Elizabeth Tremblay, who had a few tough, key saves in the game,” Isenor said.
“One of our toughest defenders, Erika Swinamer, had to sit out for the second half of the game due to a headache after a hit in the game. I was proud of how our remaining defenders handled that situation,” she continued.
“Reagan Whitehead was heavily involved in the game as our central defender. She found herself taking most corners, free-kicks, and holding down our defensive line especially in the second half.”
Isenor said Lily Frost, a midfielder also had a great game, scoring two goals.
“I’m most impressed with how unselfish our team is. They always take a look and try their best to pass to the open player,” she said. “We are continuing to work on marking our defenders more aggressively and not giving them so much time with the ball.”
The WHMS junior girls have two more regular season games and two exhibition games to go. Isenor’s hopeful they’ll be heading to the playoffs in a few weeks.
Monica Schafer, head coach of the KES junior girls soccer team, said they fought hard, but weren’t able to turn the tide.
“We started our first quarter of the game off strong, and came out playing more as a team and more aggressive offensively,” Schafer said. “Our keeper (made) some fantastic dives and runs to protect the ball.”
The team recently returned from a three-day CAIS (Canadian Accredited Independent Schools) U15 tournament that took place in Halifax from Sept. 27-30.
They played seven games over three days against teams from B.C., Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
Schafer said this really helped them gel as a team and also allowed the girls to better learn their positions and the flow of the game.
“Gabby Shaw, our rookie Grade 6 keeper, who hustles under pressure… made some exceptional saves in the wet conditions. I was impressed with all of our new players and returning players, and how this roster of 20 girls have come together as a team over the past few weeks,” she said. “Twelve of our 20 girls are new to the team this year, and although most participated in various team and individual sports, some have never played soccer until this fall.”
King’s-Edgehill has three more season league games and an exhibition game, and then they will head into the league playoffs.
“I am excited for the potential of this team, as we have a lot of athletes who show effort and determination to improve their game.”