By Mark Zimmaro
NEWTOWN - Alice Morrison is used to wearing many hats and being the leader of the pack.
She is also used to scoring some pretty big goals. All of those qualities were on display as the George School defeated Germantown Friends, 1-0, on Tuesday in a crucial Friends School League matchup. Morrison provided the only goal of the game, banging in a shot with 11:50 remaining in the third quarter.
George School senior Alice Morrison prepares to send a shot on net in a game against Germantown Friends. Photo by Mark Zimmaro
“It felt really good,” Morrison said. “It was definitely a team goal. It started all the way from defense and it came down the field. We had really good passing and my teammate Britney (Thompson) passed it across the cage to me. It was definitely a fun team goal.”
It wasn’t just fun, it helped the Cougars clinch a playoff, which became official after George School bested Westtown School, 2-1, on Friday. The Cougars are 4-2 in league play with just one game remaining against Friends Select on Wednesday.
After opening its league schedule with Academy of the New Church and Shipley, George School has reeled off four straight wins to reach the postseason.
Morrison, a senior, is enjoying her second season as a team captain on the Cougars’ field hockey team and also swims and plays lacrosse. She said she used last season as a learning experience and was ready to take on more of a role this fall.
“I think I used last year to really learn,” Morrison said. “I was captain with my teammate Laurel (Hutchins) and she and I worked really well together, but this year I was able to step into a little more of a leadership role. I learned a lot about being a captain last year, so I was ready to come in this year and do it.”
Now she’s the one sharing experience with two younger captains in Caroline Rawlings and Shay Singer, who are both juniors. Despite their age difference. The three captains share responsibility equally.
“They don’t really need any coaching with that,” Morrison said. “They are both talented players. There’s no hierarchy. The three of us are all captains together.”
Morrison’s leadership also extends to her school’s Climate Action Club, where she is fulfilling her role as co-president for the second straight year.
“It’s always been something I’ve been passionate about,” Morrison said. “I joined up freshman year and during junior year I was co-president.
Germantown Friends at George School
George School defeated Germantown Friends, 1-0, on Oct. 10. Photos by Mark Zimmaro
“We go to protests, organize letter-writing campaigns and we’re able to sit on the environmental stewardship oversight committee. So, we get to help fund projects with adults in the community as well as our club. Just being a teenager in this society, I think it’s on a lot of teenagers’ minds because we have to deal with it. I wanted to make whatever small change I could.”
Morrison wants to study pre-med in college with the hopes of being a pediatric doctor someday.
“I always loved kids,” Morrison said. “I babysit two or three times a week and I have little cousins that come to a lot of my games and I’ve always liked biology so it’s a perfect fit.”
George School’s Singer on big stage
The shutout of Germantown Friends was George School goaltender Shay Singer’s second this season in league play. Singer has allowed only two goals in the Cougars’ last four FSL wins. Against the Tigers, they needed to be perfect.
“It was a little nerve-wracking, I have to be honest,” Singer said. “I definitely felt the pressure to guide my team. The pressure was getting to all of us. It’s my job in those times to help out.”
Singer is used to pressure situations as they were an All-Friends School League selection last year as a sophomore. Singer admits the pressure still gets to them, but it’s tough to notice during the game.
George School goalie Shay Singer, seen here in a game against Shipley, has two shutouts this season. Photo by Mark Zimmaro
George School Senior Alice Morrison
George School junior Shay Singer
George School junior Caroline Rawlings
Tigers hoping to scratch out playoff spot
Germantown Friends’ resurgence has been the hot topic around the Friends League circles this fall and the Tigers are still alive in the playoff hunt. Although three straight one-goal losses to Friends Select, Academy of the New Church and George School put Germantown Friends in a tough spot, there’s still a chance to qualify if the Tigers can beat Moorestown Friends on Tuesday and get a little help from Shipley in the form of a win over Westtown School.
Even if they fall short, there’s been a lot of progression as Germantown Friends has put a pair of W’s in the standings this fall with another chance to add to it on Tuesday. The last time Germantown Friends won three league games or more in a season was 10 years ago.
“We’re right there,” junior Halle Smoger said. “Everything is really coming together for us this season. The passing is there. The communication is there. We really bonded as a team and we’ve got some new players playing this year from a really strong freshman class. All the pieces are coming together, we just have to execute it next.”
Germantown Friends junior Halle Smoger
Against George School, Germantown Friends had several opportunities to tie it in the second half but couldn’t squeeze one past Singer.
“We’re seeing good things,” Smoger said. “We keep getting corners and that is our focus. We just have to execute there. We really focus on corners a lot at practice and getting reps and now it just all needs to come together.
Coming Up....
Shipley and Westtown will face each other on Tuesday and a win or a tie would put Westtown in the fourth and final playoff spot. The Moose (3-3) could also be keeping an eye on the out of town scoreboard as Germantown Friends and Moorestown Friends (both 2-4) square off at the same time. Westtown beat Moorestown Friends, 5-3, back on Sept. 26 but the Moose lost to Germantown Friends, 1-0, three days later so the Tigers hold the head-to-head advantage there.
Both teams have clinched postseason spots, but Friday poses a potentially big game between Shipley and Academy of the New Church. Both teams are currently undefeated in league play. If Shipley beats Westtown on Tuesday and ANC defeats Friends' Central on Wednesday, the No. 1 seed and home field advantage would be on the line on Friday in the Friends League regular season finale.
STANDINGS Through October 15
Academy of the New Church 5-0
Shipley 5-0
George School 4-2
Westtown School 3-3
Germantown Friends 2-4
Moorestown Friends 2-4
Friends Select 1-5
Friends' Central 1-5