Tara Cooney
Staff Writer
The New Hope-Solebury Girls’ Soccer Team pulled up to their rival school, Christopher Dock, on Friday, Sept. 9. The girls were blasting music and getting pumped for the varsity game, hoping to shut-out Dock for the first time in four years. Walking out onto the field, the players faced their biggest competition, knowing that Dock expected to defeat them easily. Many of the girls were anxious for the game to begin. During stretching, starters played keep-away while all other varsity and swing players shot on goalie, Hannah Reszka, to get her ready. Nerves were very high when, at seven o’clock, the whistle blew. The girls began one of the hardest and most intense games of their high school careers.
For the entire first half, New Hope’s defense battled Dock’s forwards, holding the ball calmly and with confidence. Transitioning the ball up the field, our midfielders were matching the Dock players, dribbling and passing with speed. They sent balls forward to the offenders, though no goal was achieved from either team, and the first half concluded. After reminders from the coach and a pep talk from captain, Bella DeVito, the girls were determined as they jogged back onto the field for the second half. Again New Hope’s defense dominated over Dock’s offenders, and no goals were allowed. The Lady Lions’ midfield was controlling the game by maintaining possession and starting to transition the ball forward for more scoring opportunities. As the second half came to an end, the score still remained a tie with zero goals from either team. The game went into overtime.
All of the supporters and the team’s bench were holding their breath as the first ten minutes of sudden death overtime began. With all of the energy they had left, the girls continued to play fast and strategically until the time was up. After only a few minutes to breath and drink some water, second overtime began. The last ten minutes were extremely impressive being that all the girls were exhausted and still played with a hundred percent effort. Continuing to protect the goal, the defense distributed quickly forward while the midfielders controlled and sent to the offenders. Everyone played at a highly intense speed, and, by the time the last whistle blew to end the game, the girls had left absolutely every bit of energy they had out on the field.
For the first time in four years, the players had shut out their rival school, Christopher Dock with a final score of zero to zero. By the impressive way the girls played, it is clear New-Hope Solebury Girls’ Soccer is in for a season with better playing and higher competition than ever before.
