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| Kat O. in action Photo: K.White |
Both teams have traditionally been at the helm of the conference for the past five seasons although the likes of O'Connell and Holy Cross have been knocking on the door anxious to get into the regional and national spotlight as well.
SJC knew that the first real test of the league fixtures would come against the talented Falcons - currently the #5 ranked girls squad in the nation according to the NSCAA. Good Counsel also holds the honor of number one in this week's Washington Post Girls High School Soccer poll.
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| Photo: K. White |
From the moment that the Cadets arrived for their pre-game meal on campus, they were focused on maintaining their concentration for the duration of the marquee match. A wonderful food court was put together by parent liasion Lori Taylor, who enlisted the assistance of many faithful soccer mom's and dad's, much to the delight of the players and coaches. Kudos to all for your efforts and support on this special match day.
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| 2010 St. John's College HS Varsity Girls Soccer Team |
SJC's starting XI held its shape well over the first 30 minutes despite the Falcons' deliberate tactics to find the feet of leading scorer Midge Purce in the SJC defensive third. Good Counsel was disrupted by the Cadets' offsides trap on four separate occasions in the first half, but found a solution behind the Cadets' back four in the 31st minute when Purce outmuscled Kat C. for a loose ball outside of the 18 and fired a hard shot to the far post that eluded an oncoming Kirsten G. to open the scoring.
"Their first goal was disappointing", noted Lennon. "We lost Shannon to injury minutes before and they still were able to re-gain the momentum with Midge's first goal."
Both teams battled for possession in the waning minutes of the half but neither could produce quality scoring chances as the referee whistled for halftime. Score: GC (1) - SJC (0).
In the second stanza, Lennon inserted Demi and Sidi into the XI as SJC adjusted to a lineup without Shannon, who left the match in the 28th minute with considerable pain and swelling in her ankle following the challenge.
Good Counsel kept the pressure high from their front runners and pounced on a poor pass in the 42nd minute from the SJC back four that Imani Dorsey slipped across the front of the SJC goal mouth for Purce to finish easily for her second goal of the match.
The duo of Dorsey and Purce connected again in the 60th minute when Purce stole the ball and fed Dorsey in front of the SJC goal from a wide position that increased the Falcons lead to three with 20 minutes remaining.
SJC defender Ally G. left the match with a slight strain late in the second half which impacted the team further although junior Najla M. performed admirably as centre back alongside Lis P., Alison S., Kayla P., and Kat O.
SJC's Kirsten G. had a stellar night in between the posts as she recorded 12 saves from a Good Counsel attack that outshot SJC 15-2 and held a 3-2 advantage in corner kicks.
With the loss, SJC falls to 1-2 in the conference and 6-4 overall. The Cadets return to the pitch on Thursday, September 16th when they host NATIONAL CATHEDRAL at Quinn Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 4pm with the JV team to follow at 5:30 pm.
VARSITY FINAL STATS
SJC GCHS
Shots 2 15
Saves 12 1
CK 2 3
FK 3 2
Fouls 5 9
Offside 1 7
GCHS Goals: Purce 31', 42, Dorsey 60'
Assists: Dorsey (2), Purce
