Girls' Soccer Falls Just Short in 2-1 Loss Against Talented NMH Squad

After a mentally and physically challenging start to the season, the girls’ varsity soccer team kicked off against Northfield Mount Hermon in an away game last Saturday. Big Red entered the game with a burst of intensity, scored early and held the lead until halftime. All eyes were set on a tough and deserved win.Despite the girls’ determination, Saturday was not their day. The tide turned as the minutes passed and a series of unlucky plays led to a goal for NMH.Amidst the enthusiastic cheering from their crowd, NMH took advantage of the home field. The stands were filled with visitors for parents' weekend, and they pulled ahead in the dying embers of the game to win 2-1.The Reds’ goal was a beautiful finish by new lower Cara Jones, who calmly redirected a cross. Lower Margaret Coogan played a vital role in the Red offensive performance, assisting the goal. Coogan dribbled at the tip of the box, before charging down the side of the field to the goal line and sliding the ball into Jones.Teammate and upper Jacie Lemos, a striking talisman in last week's game against Milton, commented on Coogan's performance. "I think Margaret Coogan really stood out in the last game. She worked really hard the whole time, and her energy and competitiveness was vital to us staying in the game."Coogan was as humble as she was skilled, focusing only on her teammate’s performance. "It was awesome to have Hannah Gustafson back on the field. She's had some bad back problems recently and is finally getting back to play,” Coogan explained. “I love working up top with her. She's a great attribute to the team and always knows what to do on the field.”

Big Red has made significant improvement since the first games of the season.

Big Red has made significant improvement since the first games of the season. However, there is still work to be done. With an eye on the games to come, the girls will continue improving their offense and maintaining a positive mentality.“Looking forward, we're really trying to perfect our mental game. Instead of having spurts of intensity throughout the game, we're looking to play like it's the last minute the entire time,” Lemos said.Teammate and upper Michaela Streep agreed and expanded on Lemos’ comments. “We want to be more consistent in our play. We have peaks and dips of how we play. Sometimes, we really turn it on and then we suddenly back off,” Streep said. “If we just play tough for the full 80 minutes then we will be fine. We have improved on taking shots in a big way, resulting in a lot more goals than we had in the first few games. We have gained confidence in that way.”Constantly improving, the girls’ varsity soccer team heads to Brewster this Saturday. They hope to bring home a big win for their parents this weekend.