Athletics
Game Summaries
Varsity Soccer Season 2008
EWS 3—Glens Falls 7
The varsity soccer team opened up their season on one of the hottest days with Glens Falls. This was a non-league game, but a good test of our ability. We played very well and certainly gave it our all. With low numbers this year and some athletes still recovering from strains from preseason, we were hurting in the second half. The first half we worked on spreading the field and sending the ball up and over the opposing defense to have our speedy attack—Elise M, Monica Y, and Hannah B— run onto the ball for shots. Our half-time score was 2–3, with a great feeling of success in our first 40 minutes. Liz W had her first game in goal at the varsity level and did quite well with 12 saves. Defensively we have a new line up from last year, with Jenny P sweeping, Sarah B as our freshman stopper. On the wings we have senior captain Lucy M and our other back is Noelle O.
In the second half, senior captain Katherine B moved the ball well between our defense and offense. Returning players Allie E and Emily B are still working on some strains, but their time on the field was vital to our team. The team couldn’t have played harder, but with Glens Falls sliding a midfielder through to the attack at times, we had a hard time covering all players. With a little more time and practice, this team has a wonderful potential this year. Brielle B, McKenzie S, and Lindsay P are new members of the varsity team, and they worked very hard throughout the game. It was great to see some of our passing combinations, which Annie M made happen with her accurate passes. In the last five minutes of the game, Glens Falls, took advantage of having more substitutions and being a little more fit. They scored two goals, which brought the lead out of our hands. Elise M finished the game with two goals, and Hannah B had many shots but capitalized one time. Overall I was very pleased with the level of play and the intensity in which the girls maintained. The team looks forward to their opening league game with Berlin on Friday.
EWS 2–Berlin 1
The Lady Jesters took on Berlin on a hot and windy Friday afternoon. Still plagued with injuries, the varsity team had to dig deep for this win. In the first half we showed that we were the faster and more skilled team by sending many long balls to the corner or a through pass on the ground to our striker Hannah B. Hannah had many great shots, but in fairness to Berlin, their keeper had some nice saves. Elise M had a nice run to goal coming from the left wing and scored the first goal of the game. Defensively, Liz W had 9 saves, which kept us in the game. Lucy M and Jenny P did well defensively and were constantly shutting down some of Berlin’s fast offensive line. Hannah B connected late in the first half with a nice one-touch shot from a cross from Elise. Brielle B worked the ball well at the end of the second half feeding her attack wings. Katherine B and Elise M had several shots on goal as well. Overall we kept the intensity up and came out with a victory.
EWS 2–Heatly 1
After a rainy morning the team took a short trip to Heatly to play on a bouncy but moist field. For the exception of the standing water on one sideline we were pretty fortunate to get the game in. It took the varsity team fifty minutes to figure out how to play on a short field that was not only short in length but in width as well. Sarah B had an excellent game as our stopper. Allie and Noelle worked the left side of the field well. Heatly scored in the last minute of the first half, which certainly woke up our team. In the second half we knew we had our work cut out for us. Thankfully, the girls started passing the ball better, getting the ball to the attack and getting more shots on goal. Katherine B took a corner, and it was short, so it deflected off the defense up to the corner of the eighteen where Noelle ran in and took a shot and it went up and over the goalie. It was a beautiful shot and truly lifted our spirits. Shortly after this goal the team connected more and finalized the victory with a cross from Elise and a shot by Hannah. Liz was kept busy in net with ten saves.
EWS 4–New Lebanon 2
It was a spectacular day for a soccer game and the varsity team was ready to compete with their biggest rival, New Lebanon. From the beginning of the game we stepped up our level of play and took control. We were mixing up our passing and moving the ball up the field well. Sarah and Katherine had a great game for us. Sarah stopped New Lebanon’s best scorer to no goals, and Katherine kept in step with their next highest scorer. Defense was strong in back, led by Jenny, Lucy, and Noelle. Offensively, we got the first goal from a great cross from Monica, and Hannah volleyed it in. New Lebanon answered back with a goal, but we knew what we had to do to win—keep up the intensity and keep taking shots.
It didn’t take long for us to find ourselves on the scoreboard again with a one-on-one to goal, where Hannah shot and scored. Our spirits were lifted. We kept up the intensity, and Liz had some great saves in goal. She had three saves for the day, but they were crucial. New Lebanon quickly came back with a goal, but we rallied, and Elise put one in the back of the net after Hannah made a stellar pass to her. The goal was shot by Sarah, who dribbled the ball around several defenders and took a shot outside the eighteen for a sweet goal. Overall everyone played well and hard for the entire 80 minute game!
EWS 6–Rensselaer 0
It was a windy but comfortable day at Rensselaer High School, where the varsity team played a slow game of soccer. It was evident in the first minute of the game that we were the better team. We had five shots on goal in less than three minutes. It wasn’t until Katherine took a corner and Hannah volleyed it in that we stepped up our level of play. Shortly after the first goal Katherine dribbled in and took a shot and scored. At half we were ahead 2-0, but we still needed to step up our intensity, spread the field, and take the ball to goal. It was nice to see the intensity increase, and the team made some nice passing combinations to score. Hannah ended with 2 goals, Elise had 1 goal and 1 assist, McKenzie had her first goal of the season, and Monica capped off the game with a great shot from the corner of the eighteen. The varsity soccer team goes undefeated in the league with a record of 4-0 and looks forward to playing Doane Stuart on Wednesday.
EWS 8–Doane Stuart 0
It was a very windy day at Doane Stuart, where the varsity soccer team played their fifth league game of the season. Despite the sun in our eyes during the first half, we played a strong offensive game, having a commanding lead of 5-0 at halftime. While it was clear that we were at a different skill level than the other team, we kept a great attitude and really focused our efforts on practicing working together as a team to make goals. As a result, many of our goals throughout this game were scored with assists from other teammates.
Sarah B and Hannah B started us off with our first two goals of the game, both with assists from Katherine B, who scored later in the first half, not hesitating on an open shot. Our other scorers included Monica Y, who had a great long shot from the corner; Emily B, who stuck with her own rebound and tapped it in; Elise M with an assist from Brielle B; and even one of our defenders, Jenny P, taking advantage of a great throw-in by Hannah B! Although it wasn’t as competitive a game as we would have liked, we look forward to using the same great teamwork against Waterford on Friday.
EWS 3 – Waterford 1
It was a sunny Friday afternoon on our home field, where varsity soccer played Waterford in an exciting game with the energy of the cheering crowd behind us. After getting off to a little bit of a shaky start, we played a phenomenal defensive as well as offensive game.
Sarah B started us off with our first goal of the game, with perfect placement over the goalkeeper’s head. Hannah B was our second scorer of the game, finishing a beautiful play including an assist by Elise M, who then scored another goal within minutes! Our strong offense brought the score to 3-0 after the first half, but it was our defense in this particular game that was worth noting. Jenny P and Lucy M played smart and quick on the defensive line, as well goalie Liz W, who played a great, aggressive game. Liz made a total of 10 saves, having a crucial role in keeping Waterford at only 1 goal. All in all, it was an exciting game on the homefront, and we look forward to continuing our undefeated season.
EWS 6–Loudonville 1
It was another great day of soccer on our home field against Loudonville, with the support of our family and fans. We started off the game with a number of quick shots on goal, but it wasn’t long until we shook off the frustration and started taking our time to set things up. Monica was our first scorer of the game, with an assist from Emily B, taking her long shot from the corner, sailing it up and over the goalkeeper’s head. Just minutes later, with our spirits lifted, Sarah B brought us to 2 goals in the first half. We were on top of our game, playing great defense, and following shots. As a result, Monica Y scored our third goal, off a rebound from Hannah B’s tough shot, bringing our score to 3-0 after the first half.
In the second half, we came out strong again, and due to our solid defense, we were able to keep Loudonville at only one goal and proceeded to score 3 more. Our other scorers include Katherine B, shooting up and over the goalie’s head, freshman Lindsey P, shooting with nice placement, as well as our other freshman, Sarah B, into the corner of the net, bringing the final score to 6-1. All in all, it was another great game, and we are more excited than ever for the rest of the season. Who’s next?
EWS 3–Heatly 2
After a rain-out Friday afternoon, we were readier than ever for the excitement of a home game against Heatly. It was still a misty day on our home turf, but the dreary sky and the chill in the air didn’t seem to affect our solid defense! Lucy M and Jenny P were “unstoppable in their stopping,” making it hard for Heatly to take many shots on goal, while midfielders Annie M, Noelle O, and Katherine B moved the ball well back to our offense.
Whether it was the excitement of playing a team more evenly matched with ours, or the pressure to maintain our undefeated season, it took us some time to get it together and really work together to score. We did, however, score the first goal of the game, which certainly lifted our spirits and reminded us that we are skilled enough to take on any team. Lindsey P was our first scorer, taking a shot up close to the goal, followed by a well executed combination, where Monica Y lifted the ball up the field and Hannah B chased it down, taking a touch and firing it in. And even though the other team ended up scoring as well, that didn’t slow us down. Sarah B dribbled the ball right through Heatly’s defense, set up and scored our third goal of the game. We know we could have worked together better today to execute the combinations that have served us well in past games, but we are determined to play better as a team against New Lebanon on Wednesday, which will be one of our most exciting games yet.
EWS 1–New Lebanon 1
On Wednesday, varsity soccer poured their hearts into their second game against New Lebanon, which, after two 40 minute halves, 20 minutes of overtime, getting covered in mud from head to toe, (what felt like) a million shots on goal, pain, exhaustion, frustration, and tears, ended in a tie.
Starting the day off with a missing transportation vehicle and a game time discrepancy, it felt like one thing after another was going wrong for varsity soccer. But we were determined to beat New Lebanon no matter what came our way, so we sure weren’t going to let a few little mix-ups change that. We saw the rare opportunity before us: a night game against our biggest rival, on their turf, in the mud, with the lights on. This would be a game we would never forget.
We began the game strong. Hannah B fired our one and only goal into the top of the net after a beautiful corner kick from Katherine B. It was a great way to start off this exciting game, but New Lebanon shortly answered back with a goal that they just barely snuck by. We left the first half with a score of 1-1, and that’s how it would remain. Our defense was solid and intimidating. Lucy M, Jenny P, and Noelle O worked so well together that we limited New Lebanon to 0 shots on goal in the entire second half and in overtime! On the other hand, offensive players Monica Y, Elise M, Hannah B, Sarah B, and Allie E had numerous shots on goal throughout game, setting up play after play, but the exhaustion, mud on our cleats, and a slippery game ball didn’t do us any justice. It was an emotional game for the girls all around, (even the coaches!), but we played our hearts out and are more than proud to say we are 8-0-1 in our league after a game like that.
EWS 5–Rensselaer 1
It was a bright, crisp autumn day at Emma Willard, where varsity soccer played their second game against Rensselaer. Remembering our previous experience playing Rensselaer, we knew it would be nothing like the game we had Wednesday night, but took this as an opportunity to “reboot” and have fun playing soccer. We scored 5 goals in the first half. Our scorers were Monica Y, Hannah B, Sarah B, Lindsay P, and Lucy M with her first goal of the season. After dominating the first half, we decided to switch things up and have fun playing some different positions, including our goalie, Liz W, who showed us what she had on defense! Monica Y played goalkeeper for the first time for varsity soccer, and Allie E and Annie M had key shots on goal while playing forward. It was a fun and certainly less intense game than we had two nights ago, but we are pumped for the rest of the season. Watch out, here we come!
EW 5–Doane Stuart 0
It was a chilly autumn day on our home field, where we played Doane Stuart for the second time this season. The game started off to a very slow start, but it came together in the second half when we starting taking shot after shot on goal. The lack of competition might have slowed us down a little in the first half, but we came out of it with two goals, both scored with great teamwork. Our first goal was scored by Katherine B with a dribble and a clear shot, assisted by Allie E with a great pass, showing how great our midfielders were working together this game. The second goal of the half was a combination of a great cross by Elise M and perfectly timed volley by Hannah B. We came out of the first half rejuvenated.
In the second half, we were still able to hold Doane Stuart at 0, with our great defense and 5 crucial saves by Liz W. We scored 3 more goals, bringing the final score to 5-0 Emma Willard. Our scorers include: Sarah B with 2 goals, the second of which was a great combination with sister Hannah B, with a give-and-go at the top of the 18, and then Hannah B, who got to score one herself with a great assist by Allie E again. We continue to be thrilled with the way the season is going for us, and we are looking forward to dominating Waterford on Thursday.
EWS 0–Waterford 3
It was certainly an emotional game on Waterford’s home field, where varsity soccer lost their first game of the season. We knew this was going to be an intense game, but we were optimistic. We had beaten Waterford 3-1 on our home field, but this time we were on foreign turf.
We came out strong and ended strong, but somewhere in the middle, the Lady Jesters found themselves struggling to be the team they were all season. Defenders Lucy M, Jenny P, and Noelle O were certainly put to work this game, as Waterford came out with a ruthless offense. The odds just weren’t in our favor: Waterford had more shots on goal, but although Liz W made 13 crucial saves, they still managed to get three. Despite the score, EWS still did pretty well for themselves, managing 14 shots on goal. Our top shooters this game included Monica Y, Hannah B, and Allie E, who played right attack wing this game so our offense could utilize her great crosses. But the goalie was tough, and varsity soccer just couldn’t seem to get past unlucky rebound after unlucky rebound.
EWS 0–Lansingburgh 2
It was the first game of a two-game tournament at Lansingburgh, and we knew we had our work cut out for us. Lansingburgh was a team outside of our league, and they were certainly a strong team. But the exciting part about this game was not only that it was a night game and we were feeling relaxed because it was the weekend, but that we actually held our own against Lansingburgh and made their jaws drop when we came out as strong as we did!
We left the first half with a score of 0-0, and although Lansingburgh ended up scoring two goals in the second half, we were pleased with how well we played and worked together as a team, which was a feeling that had certainly been missing for a few games. The players that stood out in this game include Lucy M with rock steady defense, Katherine B with ball control in the midfield, and McKenzie S up on offense with some great passes and shots on goal. Emma Willard varsity soccer is back!
EWS 0–Albany High 4
It was another tough game at Lansingburgh, where we played Albany High in the second and last game of the tournament. It was certainly a difficult team and great practice for our upcoming sectionals, but we struggled to keep the ball in offense. We were again lacking subs, and then suffered the loss of another player, one of our midfielders, Allie E, due to an ankle injury. We were exhausted. Again, our defense was pushed hard, facing the attack of the other team for most of the game. Liz W had a total of 24 saves, the most saves she’s made in one game the whole season. Albany walked away with four goals, but it would have been a lot more without the great work of our defense.
EWS 1–Loudonville 2
Nearing the end of our season, feeling tired from the weekend tournament at Lansingburgh, and knowing we had four games this week, exhaustion was starting to set in on the varsity soccer team. We had beaten Loudonville 6-1 the first time, and we knew by our level of play we were the better team. But despite this, the Jesters knew not to take this game lightly, and we didn’t. We were just spent.
Loudonville scored early in the first half. We weren’t expecting it, and we were certainly frustrated. Loudonville only had three shots on goal this game, and two of them were goals. Luck was not in favor of the Jesters this game. Offense worked extremely hard, and midfielders Annie M, Katherine B, and Emily B did well with keeping the ball up by the Loudonville goalkeeper. We had 37 shots on goal the whole game including overtime, and we were certainly discouraged by the outcome. Sarah B scored our only goal of the game, with a nice little dribble by the defenders and a solid shot. We are looking forward to having a day off from a game tomorrow, so that we can come back refreshed and ready to take on Berlin.
EWS 2–Berlin 3
It was a cold and windy evening in the Berkshires, where varsity soccer played another close and intense game against Berlin. It’s been becoming harder and harder to go out there game after game, facing teams who have almost twice as many players as we do, and then losing even more players to injuries. Allie E has been out with a sprained ankle from the tournament game against Albany High, but has never missed cheering her team on. This was going to be a tough but rewarding game if we won.
We started stronger than we had in a while, and seemed to have shaken this end-of-the-season slump we were in. We came out of the first half with the score 2-1 in our favor. Hannah B and Monica Y scored our two goals, both with solid shots the goalie had no chance of stopping. Emily B stood out in this game with great control in midfield and skillful defense. Berlin scored a second goal in the second half, tying up the score and bringing us into overtime, where they scored again. Although we lost our last league game, we are proud to finish in second place after such a long, hard season, and look forward to going all the way at sectionals!
EWS 1–Schenectady 2
This was a special game for many reasons. It was a non-league game, but it was our last game before sectionals, it was Parent Day at Emma Willard, and it was the seniors’ last home game ever. The game got off to a late start after our opposing team had some transportation issues, and due to the delay, we played two 30-minute halves instead of a full game.
The energy of this game was especially high, and it was great to have so many fans cheering us on. It was also an exciting game because we seemed to be pretty evenly matched with Schenectady, and really played well together as a team. In the first half, Schenectady scored two goals, but we came out the second half determined to show them what we were made of, and we did. We gave it our all, and with the long weekend ahead of us, we didn't slow down. Hannah B scored our goal this half, bringing the score to 1-2, and we were ready for more. But the whistle blew, and the 30-minute half felt excruciatingly short. Relieved by our mid-semester vacation, we know we will come back refreshed, rejuvenated, and a new team! Sectionals, here we come!
