BY JEREMY GOODE

(Photos and Video by Jeremy Goode, Chelby Elam, James Quinn, Lennie Malmgren & Krystal Williams)

On October 24th, The Episcopal Academy Churchwomen clinched the 2023 Inter-Ac Title with their 6-0 victory over Germantown Academy. Their 10-0 record in the league secured the title outright.  

Fast forward three days later… For the first time all season, Episcopal girls’ soccer was faced with an unexpected challenge. Those responsible? Defending Inter-Ac Champs, The Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Blue Devils, as they hosted the Churchwomen under the lights on Fri., Oct. 27, tying Episcopal 2-2 in overtime.

To add context, the tie snaps a 10-0 record Episcopal had in conference play. Indeed, the two goals Springside Chestnut Hill scored were the first goals Episcopal had given up in the Inter-Ac league, with the exception of an own-goal in EA’ 3-1 win over Academy of Notre Dame.

Springside had dropped a 2-0 decision to Episcopal earlier this season.

Less than 10 minutes into the contest, Springside Chestnut Hill’s Lida Goloveyko took the ball on left side, around 35 yards out from Episcopal’s goal. A pass in front to Ryleigh Bakley allowed her to take the ball more towards the center of the field around the 18, where she blasted a shot to the lower right side, just out of the reach of diving goalkeeper Lauren Creamer. After the ball rolled to the back of the net, the Blue Devils led 1-0.

After 10 Inter-Ac games and nine minutes into the 11th, Bakley would accomplish what no one had done all season -- a goal scored directly by the opposition against Episcopal Academy.

“The girls knew that stat that Episcopal doesn’t give up goals,” Springside Chestnut Hill head coach Maria Kosmin said. “So, they knew it was a great where they were not going to get 30 shots on goal, and I think they knew when you get a chance, you got to make it count. And that’s what Ryleigh did the first goal. She just went and buried it.”

The strong start was needed for the Blue Devils, but would not last long. Episcopal is Episcopal. And if you thought the Churchwomen and head coach Andy Fraggos would melt during the first real moment of adversity they experienced in the Inter-Ac, you do not know much about this Episcopal team.

Instead, the Churchwomen would respond instantly to Bakley’s goal. Less than four minutes later, Episcopal’s Maya Bright gained possession of the ball around midfield, took it down the right sideline, passed it forward to Bridget Dempsey, who would find Quinn Whittaker and cross it to her outside the 18. Whittaker’s shot on goal leaned left, just hitting the inside of the left goal post and sneaking past the goal line to tie the game at one.

“The forwards did a great job of setting me up… Maya, Bridget up top, everyone just worked really hard to get the ball,” Whittaker said. “They made it easy for me by sliding it back or playing a great through-ball.”

It was a great boost and equalizer for Episcopal and more importantly, a needed goal for the Churchwomen, according to Bright.

“We were down so all of us needed to bring the energy up,” Bright said. “I needed to take a role; I need to get the ball forward. And then I saw Bridget out wide who got a great cross to Quinn, and Quinn finished it off.”   

When asked if the atmosphere negatively affected Episcopal’s play and encouraged Springside Chestnut Hill’s upbeat play, Bright was upfront about the loud crowd under the lights. 

“They came out and did a great job,” Bright said. “They were competitive, the intensity was there. It was a great game. I just wish we could have capitalized on more opportunities.”

Whittaker was not done as she would score her second goal 10 minutes later by dribbling in from the right side and shooting between Springside Chestnut Hill goalkeeper Gracyn Lee-Torchiana and the right goal post.

Less than 10 minutes in, Springside Chestnut Hill had been up a goal. Roughly 13 minutes later, Springside Chestnut Hill would be down a goal. The first half ended with Episcopal leading 2-1.

“I think the first half we did not play them tight as much, and we were a little frustrated at halftime,” Kosmin said. “The second half we realized we couldn’t give them time to turn, time to play, and I think once we learned to step up a little bit more and not let them turn and put pressure on their back, we had a little bit more success on the attack.”

The adjustments certainly worked. Springside Chestnut Hill would not give up another goal throughout the game. They would, however, tie the game at two almost seven minutes into the second half, as Cali Smith scored in front of the net assisted by Blakely.

“Towards the second half, we started playing better,” Smith said. “We started attacking more and kind of got out of our defensive half.”

Springside Chestnut Hill would keep the pressure on offense, but ultimately, 33 minutes of time would pass with the game knotted at two. Two five-minute overtimes did not see a goal from either squad, as the game officially ended in a tie.

What should not be lost about the game was the leadership from Springside Chestnut Hill’s co-captain Alexis Reilly. Reilly could not contribute on the field for her senior day since she was not cleared from a head injury, but she was on the sideline, always next to Kosmin trying to assist teammates on technique and positive encouragement.

It certainly worked, as Springside Chestnut Hill is the first team to record a point off Episcopal in the Inter-Ac. It was especially timely as the Blue Devils try to get the highest seed for PAISAAs coming up.

“I think a big thing when we are playing on the field is that I am very vocal and I knew that regardless if I did not play, I needed to still make an impact with the team,” Reilly said.

From her view from the sideline, Reilly was impressed by the team’s performance.

“We played our game, we found feet, we did not panic, and when the chances were there, we took the shots,” Reilly said.

All is not lost for Episcopal.

Hardly.

For Bright, she found the tie beneficial, indeed something that actually needed to occur to ultimately better the Churchwomen.

“This needed to happen because it’s going to motivate us to do better in PAISAAs and win PAISAA,” Bright said.

It also is not doom and gloom for Episcopal. If anything, the tie puts into perspective how impressive their season has been this year, especially only needing 10 Inter-Ac games to clinch the conference championship.

The Churchwomen have had a lot of fun this season, and the record and accomplishments reflect how strong of a team they have been. Clinching the Inter-Ac title with several games left on the schedule was impressive, and really distinguishes this team from other teams in the past according to Bright.

“We wanted it more,” Bright said. “Last year, we were really hurt by the loss to SCH to be runner up to them in the Inter-Ac. We knew that we needed to come out, win Inter-Ac, and this was our year.”

On Oct. 24th, the Owls would erupt for five first half goals, led by their seniors, as they would defeat the Baldwin Bears 5-3.

“We moved the ball pretty well in the first half and we created a lot of chances,” Agnes Irwin assistant coach Hunter Dyson said. “We put quite a few in the back of the net, so five in the first half was definitely a good performance,”

It really was a game of the Owls scoring early and often. Co-captain Payton Quinones scored first, taking a direct pass around the right side of the 18 and drilling a shot by Baldwin’s goalkeeper, Sophia Gill, just two minutes and 21 seconds into the action.

Interestingly enough, Baldwin would have an instant response, as they would take their initial kick-off and score 19 seconds later in game time.

It was fitting that senior and co-captain, Lily Fusco, would step up to reclaim the Owls lead, as Fusco would score from a corner kick off her chest, giving Agnes Irwin a 2-1 advantage with 28:26 remaining in the first half. Just over three minutes later, Fusco would dribble around Baldwin defenders, gather the ball at the baseline, and pass it directly to Campbell Collins in front of the net for the easy goal and 3-1 lead.

Agnes Irwin was not near done, as Dylan Ohm took the ball down the left sideline, eventually passing it to an open Quinones in front of the net as she would score on a helpless Gill with just under 12 and a half minutes remaining in the half. Quinones would try to return the favor to Ohm three minutes later with a pass to net which Ohm easily put away, although the goal did not count because Agnes Irwin was offsides.

The second time would be the charm though, as less than a minute later Ohm would get a chance at a goal in front of the net and she buried the shot, giving the Owls a commanding 5-1 lead.

“It was definitely good to come out strong,” Collins said. “We have always talked about the first five minutes, but we kept our energy going.”

Baldwin would end the half with their second goal with just under four minutes to play. Agnes Irwin goalkeeper Lindsey Reidenbach was hampered by the sun, and Makena Lee scored from the 18. The Owls went into the half up 5-2.

It is as dominant a first half as Agnes Irwin has had all year. 

“We got a lot of people on the ball; a lot of people scoring goals, so it was really exciting for us,” Quinones said.

In the second half, Baldwin would not go away despite being down three goals. McKayla Hoilett slipped a goal in from the left side 15 yards out, hitting the inner right goal post  before it turned in for the goal only two minutes and 36 seconds into the second half.

Of course, the next 37 minutes and change would be scoreless.

Throughout the remainder of the game, Agnes Irwin would record roughly 25 shots, many of which were off target. Despite having nothing to show on the scoreboard in the second half, the Owls certainly ran their offense and absolutely dominated possession, including possession in Baldwin’s territory. Gill would be responsible for stopping Agnes Irwin’s dynamic offense that seemed to keep on pushing in the second half.

“The girls did a great job of creating opportunities all day,” Dyson said. “The second half was no different. When it came time to finish our chances in the second half, we were a little unlucky.”

It is a redeeming win for the Owls, who hope to finish second in the Inter-Ac after Episcopal clinched the league championship with a 6-0 win at Germantown Academy. A few weeks earlier, Agnes Irwin had made the seven-minute drive to Baldwin, tying them at one after giving up a 1-0 lead late in the second half. They had a lot to play for in the second meeting.

What a difference a few weeks can be. And possibly, the fact that it was senior day for Agnes Irwin’s seniors.

“The energy was more there for us [today],” Quinones said. “We were more focused this time and definitely getting those goals in the first half put us in a better spot to put this game away.”

Two days later, Agnes Irwin was at it again and luck was on their side. Notre Dame’s own-goal gave Agnes Irwin the lead with eight minutes to play, and that eventual 2-1 win, was really a product of Owls’ freshman Olivia Bongiorno, as she put a shot on net that would be deflected in by an Irish defender.

Either way, Agnes Irwin will take the Inter-Ac win and remain in second place in the conference, as they prepare to get seeded for PAISAAs.

“It was one to one, we had to win this game to keep this spot so we could advance in the playoffs,” Bongiorno said. “You put it in [the shot] and see where it goes.”

For Agnes Irwin head coach Namit Deshpande, the Notre Dame own-goal that gave the Owls the win was a product of his team continuing to push offense and be resilient with the ball for the full 80 minutes of the game.

“As a collective group, we were moving the ball really well today,” Deshpande said. “We were in and around the final third a lot; especially in the second half; created a lot of opportunities. It was bound to happen.”

How did we get here?

After a scoreless first half that saw both teams attempt to put together quality runs and shots, Notre Dame and Agnes Irwin picked it up in the second half from an offensive and scoring perspective.

In fact, the Irish were able to get on the scoreboard first, putting pressure on the second-best team in the league, Agnes Irwin, as the Irish caught the Owls off balance after a missed opportunity corner kick. The Owls were slow to get back on defense, as Sophia Demchyk got loose and was able to take the ball to the net and score around the six, giving the Irish a 1-0 advantage seven minutes into the half, with 32:58 of game time remaining.

In unfamiliar territory trailing in the second half, Agnes Irwin turned to Dylan Ohm for a spark. Ohm would take the ball down the left sideline, putting up several strong shots on net and crossing it over to teammates like Payton Quinones, who would have herself several opportunities for on-target shots.

Ohm’s aggressive play would be rewarded with around 27 minutes left, as she was fouled in the box and awarded a penalty kick. She would absolutely bury the kick, tying the game at one apiece with 26:07 to go.

“I felt like I was getting fouled a good amount throughout the game,” Ohm said. “When the seniors gave it to me [the kick]… I knew I couldn’t miss; I just had to make the goal.”

Besides the pace being picked up by Agnes Irwin on the offensive side, they held strong defensively during the last 40 minutes as well. The Owls’ Abby Ballinger noted that her team’s conditioning is second to none, and while it looked like Notre Dame was tiring in the second half, Agnes Irwin had placed themselves in a position to consistently get chance after chance on net, while giving Notre Dame nothing to work with in their offensive pursuit.

“They weren’t really pressing us, so that allowed us to possess the ball and turn the screw more and more and more,” Ballinger said. “We just kept possessing and it allowed us time backwards to get on the ball and then play it forward.”

For Agnes Irwin’s assistant coach, Hunter Dyson, this game showed how important it is to keep working and keep out-hustling the opponent for the day. He cited the two unanswered goals the Owls came away with in the second half, ultimately being the difference maker to give the Owls the win.

Even after taking the lead with eight and a half minutes left, Agnes Irwin continued its offensive push, continuously getting good shots and almost making it a two-score game. Instead of stopping at 71 minutes, they played through the whistle, really earning the three points on the road.

“We talk about it all the time: we don’t want to play half a game or 60 minutes of a game; we always want to play a full 80,” Dyson said. “Today, we definitely grew into it a little bit more.”

Deshpande noted it’s a reflection on how the team practices.

“A lot of it credits to the way we train,” Deshpande said. “We stress the importance of working hard in training sessions; so, our training sessions are almost supposed to be harder than our games. When they step out there on the field, it tends to be a little bit easier for them fitness wise because they’re used to that level.”

Episcopal Academy has already clinched the Inter-Ac title. While Agnes Irwin looks to finish second in conference, they also know that in order to better their seed for postseason soccer like the PAISAA’s, they have to continue to win the rest of the games on their schedule. Ballinger noted that the more wins they earn the better matchups they should face in PAISAA’s. For Ballinger and her team, they understand how significant these last few games are on the schedule, even if it does not determine the league champion.

“It’s super important; being on the other side of the bracket from several good teams can help us go far,” Ballinger said. “Since we can’t get the Inter-Ac this year, we’re really going for the PAISAA’s. We have not won a title in several years, so, the PAISAA’s really important to us now and that’s our big push for the rest of the season.”

Oct. 24

Springside Chestnut Hill Academy hosted Penn Charter, defeating the Quakers 2-1.

Germantown Academy traveled to Episcopal. The Churchmen beat the Patriots 6-0.  The win clinched the Inter-Ac championship for Episcopal, only needing 10 games to clinch the league. 

Oct. 27

In a close match, Germantown Academy would hold on at home against Baldwin, beating the Bears 5-4. 

“The second half is probably one of the best halves that we have played just from an intensity level leading to opportunities…” Haverford head coach Keith Cappo said. “And obviously... goals for us, so it was a good response by the boys.”

It would be Springside Chestnut Hill who would build an offense early on. Jameson Callas would open up play with a free kick just behind midfield, which he would send directly to Haverford’s goal. Haverford goalkeeper Connor Cresswell would go up for the ball and not have any issue securing it within the first 40 seconds of the game clock.

A few minutes later, Blue Devil Michael Glennon finessed his way down the right sideline with the ball, juking several Haverford defenders and was able to put a shot on net that went wide right of the goal for a Haverford goal kick. Haverford’s Thomas Kaplan would then have to recover on a one against one, and he was able to prevail by poking the ball out and clearing it up the field to his Haverford teammates.

Springside Chestnut Hill’s attempt to get on the scoreboard would not end there. Abdoul Diallo drilled an uncontested shot from 25 yards out from the right side that went wide left and never had a chance 13 minutes into the match.

“First half we did not play up to our standard,” Haverford head coach  Cappos said. “So we talked about that at halftime… obviously on the road, a mid-week game in the Inter-Ac is tough.”

Glennon and Andrew Laudenbach would record two strong shots on Cresswell. Cresswell would have to punch out Laudenbach’s shot at the last second with 17 minutes left in the first half. With a minute left in the half, Haverford’s Thacher McCoy contained the Blue Devils’ Zayd DeVeaux and Diallo well on 50/50 balls, defending them tightly along with Kaplan to send both teams in scoreless at half.

“I think we came out really flat off the bus,” Haverford’s Noah Trexler said. “Our coach talked to us and told us have an opportunity here and let’s not let it pass up. We came out [in the second half] really energized and motivated.”

The Fords would certainly rally in the second half. And it would not take much time either.

Haverford forced a corner kick just over three minutes into the second half. After the ball was kicked into net, there was a scuffle for the ball. A Springside Chestnut Hill defender eventually would attempt to clear the ball out of their zone, but it was deflected off Kaplan’s shoulder and shot to the back of the net, giving Haverford a 1-0 lead.

“Obviously a bit of a lucky one, but throughout the year I have been scoring a bunch,” Kaplan said. “So, I just have the confidence that every time we get one [corner kick], I have a chance to score.”

From that point on, Haverford would control the game offensively. Yes, Springside Chestnut Hill would have their chances on the other end, but for the majority of the second half, Haverford really controlled possession and field position, returning to the type of play that has allowed them to win as many games as they have and ultimately compete with Penn Charter for the Inter-Ac title.

Sebastian Perez-Gasiba was running offense well downfield. When he was not pushing the tempo, he was making it difficult for the Blue Devil’s back line to clear the ball out of their territory.

His aggressive play would inspire teammates as well. Anthony Costa had several aggressive shots on net that just missed. Preston Swei, Perez-Gasiba, and Hoilett would have a good set going where they moved the ball among themselves and got it close to net for Hoilett to get several good chances on net.

All of this gave the Fords a little more breathing room, as Perez-Gasiba was fouled in the box off a Kaplan clearance and pass from baseline from Hiolett to Perez-Gasiba in front of the net with under seven minutes of play. He drilled the penalty kick, giving Haverford a comfortable 2-0 advantage with six minutes and forty-four seconds left.

“The clearance came from Kaplan, but for McKai to have the patience to wait for support to get in, I thought it encapsulated what we were trying to do in the second half in terms of our work rate and it was well deserved.”

For Springside Chestnut Hill, they still are holding strong in the Inter-Ac behind Haverford and Penn Charter. Blue Devils head coach Brian Zalasky was pleased with his team’s performance in the way they hung in against the top talent in the league, but he knows there is room to get better.

“Anytime you come out against a school that puts together performances like Haverford and control a bit of the game and play, it’s a real benefit,” Zalasky said. “I think for our team, for our boys, we have to make sure to put two halves of soccer together.”

Cresswell would earn the clean sheet, and his back line should be noted in the shutout as well. Trexler noted that when the defense is in sync, it is hard to compete with them since they are confident in their play as well as Cresswell in front of the net.

“Everyone in the back line when we talk, when we are energized, we are really hard to get past,” Trexler said. “It was just all about talking… making sure that we were connected; not letting any balls through. And then trusting the guys up front to make plays.”

It’s an interesting game Haverford is playing because, while they know they have to win every game left on the schedule since they are neck and neck with Penn Charter in the standings, it might be expected that after its own wins Haverford could be scoreboard watching to see the results from Penn Charter. Not Trexler.

“It’s one game at a time and now it's Malvern Prep,” Trexler said. “They’re a tough team, they just got their first win and they’re trying to keep on winning. We just have to take it one game at a time and keep it moving; keep it pushing.”

Oct. 27

Episcopal and Germantown Academy would bounce back from their last loss, as they would tie against each other, 1-1. 

Haverford would host Malvern Prep, beating the Friars 4-1.

It was like déjà vu for Springside Chestnut Hill Academy this time in boys' action. The first of senior honors for the day. The Blue Devils hit the field before the girls' under the lights against William Penn Charter.  The Blue Devils tied the Quakers in overtime, 1-1, as SCH scored the tying goal with nine minutes left in the contest. 

It was still 0-0 at halftime.

About five minutes in Penn Charter junior Ryder Stearn scored to give the Quakers a 1-0 lead.

With about 9 minutes left in regulation, SCH junior Alexander Zeka recovered a loose ball and  knocked it across the goal line to tie the match at 1-1.

As for the final standings, if Haverford wins out, they would repeat as Inter-Ac champions. Additionally, if Penn Charter recorded a tie or a loss until the end of the season, Haverford would claim the championship this way as well.