Stratford vs. Memorial High School - 02.11.25

On Tuesday, February 11, 2025, the Varsity Girls Soccer Team hosted District rival Memorial High School. The Spartans were looking to extend their undefeated streak over the Mustangs to seven straight dating back to the 2021-22 season. With the bleachers starting to fill up as game time approached, a light mist blew across the field leaving everything with a slick surface. The Green and White went right to work as the initial whistle started play strong with several offensive pressures. At the 8-minute mark, that pressure would pay off handsomely. Off a long throw in from Senior – Allison Goodwin up the right side, Junior – Sara Benton would find the ball in open space and float a shot just inside the right post and over the MHS Goalie, to put SHS up 1-0 early in this much-anticipated match. Memorial would counter quickly though, with their first shot at 9’ that was easily handled by Senior – Liv Harbison. Three minutes later, at the 12-minute mark, the Spartans defended another attack that ended with Harbison punching away a hard shot that was cleared up the field. Stratford retook control of the game in the ensuing minutes, and in the 12th minute, Sophomore – Zoe Lawless sent a pass 40 yards upfield to Goodwin, who outran the last defender and pounced on a MHS goalie miscue for an easy score and a 2-0 lead. The home team crowd was treated to an exhibition of great footwork at the 24-minute mark when Goodwin sent a long ball from the far right side to the back left post, where Junior – Sydney Valentine sprinted for the goal and redirected the pass out of midair into the back of the net with a flick of her left foot, 3-0. Less than four minutes later, SHS would earn a corner kick taken from the left side by Benton, who sent the ball to the middle of the goal, where Goodwin was able to get a knee on the ball and over the line for her second goal of the night and to increase the lead to 4-0. The Spartans weren’t going to let off the gas at this point, as again it was Goodwin sending a ball to Valentine, who fired on frame, but was just deflected away – but not far enough, as Brendel charged the loose ball and got a foot on it before the goalie could recover from the last shot, taking the Spartans to halftime with a commanding 5-0 lead.

SHS would make a change at goalie coming into the second half and sent Sophomore – Addie Greenway to defend the shutout. Greenway was tested early when SHS committed a foul deep in the Stratford end of the field, but she defended it with ease to keep the Memorial team stuck on zero. At the 51-minute mark, Valentine would send a ball forward to Goodwin, who beat her defender and shot around the remaining line of defenders and past the MHS goalie for a hat trick and a 6-0 lead. At the 69-minute mark, Brendel would make a long run from the Spartan end of the field, finding Senior – Mary Paul in front of the goal, who made a last-second pass off to her left, where Sophomore – Sophia Beviaqua fired a quick shot past the charging goalie into the back of the net, 7-0. At this point of the match, the Spartans were looking to end the game via the mercy rule. They would have their chance with five minutes remaining, when Paul was awarded a shot after a MHS foul outside the box – the shot narrowly missing its mark when it ricocheted off the left post. The remaining time would tick away on a game that was dominated from the opening whistle, and the Spartans would celebrate midfield with a victory against their biggest rival.

Stratford vs. Cy Creek High School – 2.14.25

The Spartans would start the second round of District play at home on Valentine’s Day versus Cy Creek High School. It wouldn’t take long for the Spartans to get started as just two minutes into the match, Senior – Allison Goodwin would step in front of a Cougar pass and dribble ahead before sending a ball across the box to an unmarked Junior – Sydney Valentine, who would find the back of the net at the far post. Less than two minutes later, Senior – Whitney Bui would send a ball sixty yards down the field and over the Cy Creek defense, where Valentine would run onto the ball and fire top-shelf over an outstretched goalie to extend the Stratford lead. At the 5-minute mark of the match, Goodwin would again dispossess a Cougar defender and play a ball wide to Junior – Avery Rushing, who drove hard to the end line before playing the ball back toward the top of the box, where Senior – Mary Charlotte Paul would bang a shot off the goalkeeper's fingertips and into the net. Fifteen minutes into the match, it would be Senior – Hannah Ryan driving down the left side of the field for the Spartans. Ryan would play back to Valentine, who would switch the ball back across the field to Paul, beating a defender and firing near-post to extend the lead to 4-0. Twenty one minutes into the match, it would again be Rushing driving toward the end line on the right side of the pitch, drawing numerous defenders before sending a great ball back to the top of the box, where an opportunistic Sophomore – Sophia Beviaqua would run onto the ball and score easily at the near post. A few minutes later, Goodwin would again intercept an errant Cougar pass and dribble toward goal. As soon as the goalkeeper committed to defending Goodwin, she rolled a ball across the goal to a sprinting Rushing, who one-touched it into the back of the net at the far post. While Stratford spent much of the remainder of the half mercifully playing keep-away, there were great shots from numerous Spartans on frame by Senior – Elizabeth Byrd, Sophomore – Trista Troung, Freshman – Hannah Hewitt, Ryan, Paul, Rushing, and Beviaqua, although all were denied by great saves from the Cougar goalkeeper to hold the score at 6-0 going into halftime.

Only five minutes into the second half, Bui, who was driving the ball forward through the midfield for Stratford, would play Weber, who sent it forward to Goodwin, teasing a look near-post before sliding it across the net and inside the far post for another Spartan goal. Only a few minutes later, Valentine would shake her defender 30 yards out and drive to the end line before touching the ball back to Goodwin, who redirected it one more time to the feet of Weber. Weber would beat the keeper to give the Spartans their magical goal number eight. Stratford would again play the possession game for the remainder of the next ten minutes until the clock hit the 20-minute mark, and the referee once again enforced the mercy rule, ending the match early. It was the 8th straight win for Stratford, who sits alone in first place atop the District standings.

Your Spartans will play again on Tuesday, February 18th at 7:15 pm at Northbrook High School.