The Shattuck-St. Mary’s girls soccer team played against Erie Admirals in one of their final games of the season on Saturday, April 26 in Indiana for the CrossRoads Showcase. The spring record for SSM was 2-4-2. The Sabers won the game 4-2 vs. the Admirals.
When the game started, the Admirals sent a few balls near SSM’s goal and five minutes into the game they scored on a long ball into the net. Shattuck-St. Mary’s kept great possession of the ball afterwards, with Sofia Anzini having some incredible runs making it difficult for the other team to defend.
In the sixteenth minute, the Erie Admirals were given a free kick which was defended easily by Ella Favot who brought the ball very quickly up the field. She then connected a few passes which resulted in a shot from Anabelle Harris and a big rebound by the Erie goalie, and Naomi Ford finally tapping the ball into an empty net. This tied the game 1-1 and closed off the first half.
A few minutes in the second half of the game, Avery Miller sent a cross into the Admirals box and Imogene Joseph scored the goal. Around three minutes later Miller drove up the field, crossed once again and Joseph scored again. Miller was happy about her contributions and said, “I thought about cutting in towards the entrance but then I saw Imo making her run in and knew I trusted her completely to finish, and making that decision to share the ball helped our team lead by two.” Joseph was proud of her goals and said, “It felt great to score not only once, but twice in one of our last games together. It really meant a lot to be able to share that happy feeling with the team.”
One minute after that goal, SSM scored another one when Megan Moody passed the ball to Ella Favot at the top of the box, who dribbled past the goalie and smashed the ball to the back of the net.
At the end of the game, the Admirals scored a goal, ending the game with a 4-2 for SSM. Shattuck- St. Mary’s head girls soccer Coach Matt Ball said, “We looked like we had fun for starters, there was a lot of energy and some different people scoring goals.”
(Ms. Megan Maschoff)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s School girls soccer season
In the beginning of the 2024 school soccer season at Shattuck-St Mary’s School, it was an exciting time for the girls to get to know each other and all be part of a new team. However, the season had a rough beginning because many of the girls were not used to playing with each other, and when the team started playing games, it showed. Gradually over time this changed, as the players got to know each other on and off the field, and they gained a more cohesive playing style. Sofia Del Papa said, “This season came with many challenges by adapting to a very different style from home, but I think it went overall well and helped me with my independence as well as my accountability”.
The team went to events such as the NorCal Premier Showcase in California, the Jefferson Cup in Virginia, the Dallas Cup in Texas and the CrossRoads Showcase in Indiana. In the spring season, the team had many losses which saddened the players. Sofia Anzini said, “Although I had high hopes for the season, it wasn’t what I expected but near the end we picked up and finished strong”. Head Coach Matt Ball also said, “Team results haven’t been what they should’ve been but individuals have gotten better”.
The team ups and downs during the season, and there were a few memorable games like the last home game in the dome. Shattuck- St. Mary’s won 5-1 versus Manitou F.C., showcasing many great connecting passes and some tremendous goals. It was a fitting end of the season, and a great sendoff for all the graduating seniors. To conclude, the team got better as the season progressed through all the hard work the girls put in, and the stage is set for the team’s future success.
