Old Lyme falls in Shoreline Conference girls’ soccer final
“This group of kids won two state championships, made it to the finals once and played for a Shoreline championship. And we had graduations of 4-5 seniors every year. It says something about the conduct of the seniors; they set the tone for these kids to play.”
OLD LYME GIRLS’ SOCCER COACH PAUL GLEASON
Old Lyme — The end of an unbeaten streak on the season's final day isn't exactly cause for celebration.
Then again, Monday's loss in the Shoreline Conference championship game, 3- 2 versus Haddam- Killingworth, isn't what the Old Lyme High School girls' soccer team will remember.
"There's no better way this season could have gone," Old Lyme senior defender Emily DeRoehn said. "I'm so lucky to have what I have. I've been lucky to play in a bunch of games since I was a freshman. The other players have affected me as a person, the older players, the younger players, too.
"I wouldn't be as good of a leader without soccer."
Third-seeded H-K never trailed, taking the game's first lead at 1-0 with 12 minutes, 54 seconds left in the first half on a blast by senior Autumn Walton. The Cougars, who defended their title, would go on to amass two more goals against Old Lyme (10-1-1), scoring more times than any other team this season against the top-seeded Wildcats.
Old Lyme beat H-K during the regular season, 2-1 on Oct. 26.
"They were a better team," Old Lyme coach Paul Gleason said. "If we play on another day, we might be the better team. They managed to take us out of our game."
H-K led 1-0 at halftime on the goal by Walton, a 25-yard fly ball which carried over the head of Old Lyme goalie Sam Gray. The Cougars made it 2-0 just six minutes into the second half on a goal by Yumiko Imai.
Old Lyme also played part of the second half without senior defender Ellie Zrenda due to an injury.
But the Wildcats, as a team which has been to the last five Class S state championship games before the tournament was canceled this year due to COVID-19, gave chase, nevertheless.
DeRoehn, who had several free kicks take off in a brisk wind earlier in the game, this time grounded a free kick into the box, where Abby Manthous was waiting for it on the far post to knock it in. That pulled Old Lyme within 2-1.
Before Old Lyme could tie it, however,
H-K took a 3-1 lead on a breakaway by Kedarjah Lewis with 13:05 to play.
It was Manthous who made the game's final 2:35 among the most nervewracking of the day. Manthous, a junior, took a corner kick from the right side and watched as the ball sailed directly into the goal, carving H-K's lead to 3-2 with time running down.
The Wildcats had the ball on H-K's side of the field as time expired.
"They were a really good, competitive team. They had a fast forward line," Manthous said. "We had to work hard not to let them get through the defense. Anyone who went in — Ellie Zrenda had to come out of the game — all just worked really hard."
Old Lyme loses seven seniors from this team, which was trying to win its first Shoreline tournament title since 2016.
Manthous used the same word DeRoehn did to describe the Wildcats' season, however. Lucky.
"It was an honor to be here today," Manthous said. "This group of seniors, every single one of them is amazing. I look up to every single one of them."
"My kids have nothing to hang their heads about," Gleason said. "Just to be here. We're here. This group of kids won two state championships, made it to the finals once and played for a Shoreline championship. And we had graduations of 4-5 seniors every year. It says something about the conduct of the seniors; they set the tone for these kids to play."
Added Gleason: "Like Charles Barkley said (with regard to sports being played during the coronavirus), this is not what's up. Life is what's up. This builds on your life. ... I love this."