ROSEMONT--The Baldwin School soccer team kicked off its Inter- Ac League action on Saturday September 21 against Agnes Irwin.
The Owls hosted Baldwin as part of Agnes Irwin’s 150th anniversary of the school.
Baldwin started its league play with a 1-0 victory against the Owls.
This game marked Baldwin’s fourth consecutive shutout for the team.
“It wasn’t an easy game,” said head coach Adrian Cox in his postgame address. “We dealt with strikers and put our chances away.”
It came down to one moment that ultimately decided the outcome.
The first half came and went with a score of 0-0. About five and a half minutes into the second half, senior co-captain Alex Loomis scored off a free kick. Loomis kicked the ball just over Irwin’s goalkeeper Amelia Layden, hitting the back of the net. That is all it took to secure the 1-0 victory as the remainder of regulation flew by before the clock expired.
“I knew I could easily put that in because I’ve done it before and I missed one just like that earlier in the game,” said Loomis. “I knew it was my opportunity and I just had to strike it as I knew how.”
In addition to Loomis, several teammates stepped up including freshmen Ana Naylor and Maddie Davis as well as sophomore Grace Halak tempering the Owls offense.
Baldwin senior goalkeeper Taylor Levinson made some huge saves against the relentless Irwin squad. Levinson stopped 12 shots on the day, an amazing feat after just being moved from field player to goalie this season. Levinson replaced junior Rani Bleznak who is out due to an ankle injury.
“Every single time I would do anything, I would feel my team and I would even feel the fans out there cheering me on,” said Levinson. “It felt so nice and it just helped me push through.”
Agnes Irwin vs Baldwin
Baldwin's Alex Loomis describes her team's performance. (video-Dan McCarty)
Baldwin goalie Taylor Levinson talks about her game in goal. (video-Dan McCarty)
“Just having a big presence like her in the goal just threw us off,” said senior quad-captain Natalie Pansini.
AIS senior captain and goalkeeper Amelia Layden led her team in defense.
"Our defenders saved us a lot of time today. They played a huge role in not letting up a lot of goals," said Layden. “I think that we’re going to learn from this game to just keep talking and stay positive."
Baldwin and Agnes Irwin have always had a friendly rivalry and today's game marking a milestone for the Owls was extra special.
“It’s always a great game,” said Loomis. “We’re two amazing schools. I think it’s a great partnership and at the end of the day we respect each other.”
Agnes Irwin's Natalie Pansini talks about her team's performance.(video-Dan McCarty)
Inter-Ac League soccer resumes today, September 24th. Baldwin will host Episcopal Academy at 4:00 p.m.
Agnes Irwin also returns to its home field taking on Penn Charter. Game time is 4:00 p.m.