Stratford vs. Westside High School - 03.25.24

On Monday March 25, 2024, the Varsity Girls Soccer Team opened post-season play at Delmar Stadium versus the Westside High School Wolves. Play started off a little slow over the first 15 minutes, as SHS kept the ball on the Westside end of the field but couldn’t seem to convert any of the opportunities that they were creating. That early drought ended at the 16-minute mark when Junior Mary Charlotte Paul dribbled up the middle of the field unmarked and then from about 30 yards out, fired a shot under the crossbar and over the goalkeeper to go up 1-0. In the 24th minute, Junior Ryann Weber, Sophomore Sydney Valentine, and Senior Lizzie Emerson played a perfect triangle, sending the ball from Weber to Valentine to Emerson, with Emerson ultimately leading Weber up the middle, where she picked up the pass in stride and sent a low ball to the left post to increase the lead to 2-0. With 10 minutes to play in the first half, it was Freshman Audrey Brendel making a run up the right side, where she found Emerson with a perfect cross, and Emerson was able to give the ball enough of a flick to redirect it inside the right post, 3-0. The last major action before halftime that the crowd got to see was a real team-effort goal. Sophomore Sara Benton crossed the ball from the right corner to Valentine, who made a quick touch pass to Junior Allison Goodwin, who sent the ball back to the front of the goal, where Emerson was waiting, and fired to the left side of the goal, wrapping up the first 40 minutes with a 5-0 lead.

Coming out of intermission, SHS earned a corner kick in the first minute that was taken by Benton, who made a quick pass to Junior Whitney Bui, who sent the ball to Freshman Juliana Molinas, who gave it up to unmarked Freshman Natalie Goodwin, who fired from over 30 yards out over the goalie and under the crossbar, 6-0. At the 57th minute mark, Allison Goodwin dribbled through traffic in the midfield and, after a couple of moves in front of the goal, found Weber, who was triple-teamed but was still able to fire a shot between the goalie’s legs, taking the lead to 7-0. With the game well in hand, the Spartans would drop a player and finish the game off 10 vs. 11 for the remaining minutes.

Even down one, they couldn’t be stopped. In the 68th minute, Benton sent a ball up field to Valentine, who dribbled past her defender and found Freshman Sophia Beviaqua in the middle of the field for the eighth and final goal of the match, 8-0. With this victory, the Spartans took the Bi-District Round and will face Katy Tompkins High School in the Area Round.

Stratford vs. Katy Tompkins High School - 03.28.24

On Thursday March 28, 2024, the Lady Spartans returned to familiar territory at Tully Stadium to face Katy Tompkins High School in the Area Round of the playoffs. The Falcons are a great team and the last time SHS faced them -- the Spartans won a close one 1-0 in the 2023 playoffs – this match would be a lot like the last time these two faced off.

The game started off with the Spartans controlling the ball from the opening whistle, and while the green & white were pressuring the Tompkins’ defense, the Falcons were stepping up to the challenge – turning away the opening aggression from SHS. In the 16th minute, Senior Lizzie Emerson found Sophomore Sydney Valentine on a run to the goal, but Valentine’s shot was just over the top of the net. While SHS was keeping the ball on the Falcons' end for the first 25 minutes, it was at the 27-minute mark that Tompkins fired their first shot (but this opportunity was not a close one)… however, in the 29th minute, a foul was called on SHS and Tompkins took a kick from about 30 yards out, but Junior Liv Harbison made a fantastic grab to maintain the clean sheet. The Spartans would have a couple more opportunities before halftime, but none of them would find their mark, and the first forty minutes would end like it started, 0-0.

Both teams started the second half with the same enthusiasm knowing that without a victory their individual seasons would be over. Six minutes after intermission, Junior Mary Charlotte Paul took a penalty kick just outside the box, but it just missed its mark – sailing wide off the left post. Eight minutes later in the 53rd minute, Tompkins would have a similar chance with their own penalty kick from roughly the same distance, but Harbison was not letting anything by and made a diving save in front of the left post to shut down the Falcons' momentum. As time continued to tick off the clock, both teams knew that they would need to make a move soon. In the 70th minute, Valentine made a great cross from the left across the front of the goal and found Junior Allison Goodwin, who fired right-side to break the tie and put SHS on the board, 1-0 … but Tompkins wasn’t going to roll over and give up. One minute later they would immediately answer. At the 71-minute mark, THS was awarded a penalty kick about 30 yards out from the Spartan goal. The Falcons took the kick and put it in the one place where it could find the back of the net and tie the match up. At this point, it looked like Tompkins had answered and the game was destined to be determined in overtime – but this wouldn’t be the case. With less than 120 seconds left in the second half, the Falcons took a goal kick after a ball was sent out of bounds, and Paul was ready for the kick. The goal kick was shorter than expected and Paul attacked it, dribbled right back at the THS keeper, and tapped the ball past her competition to take control of the game and go back up by one goal. After a quick celebration, the Lady Spartans locked down the Falcons' offense and sent them home for the second year in a row. With this victory, the Spartans won the Area Round!

Up next for SHS is an away game against Katy Jordan High School at Rhodes Stadium on Tuesday, April 2nd at 7 pm, with the winner being awarded the Regional Quarter-Finals and earning a spot in the Regional Semi-Finals. Make sure to come out and cheer the Lady Spartans on in their run for a State championship!!