By: Jeremy Goode

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA-- With a win at Episcopal on Fri., Oct. 25, the Springside Chestnut Hill Blue Devils (SCH) would at least share a spot as co-champions of the Inter-Ac for girl’s soccer. So, a win at Episcopal and a win at home against Notre Dame on Tues., Oct. 29 would solidify them as sole Inter-Ac champions. 

However Episcopal Academy (EA), the team that was defending their own Inter-Ac championship and state championship title from 2023 had other plans. And you know what they say, if you take a shot at the champs, you better not miss…

The Blue Devils would take their shots but would be unsuccessful in scoring on any of them, while the Churchwomen scored three goals, convincingly beating SCH 3-0, and jumping Agnes Irwin in the standings for second place, and keeping their dream to repeat as Inter-Ac champions alive.

“They know that they need to get up for big games; they knew what today was,” Episcopal head coach Andy Fraggos said. “They knew we had SCH, who was slated to possibly take the league in this game and I think they kind of came in with a chip on their shoulders and not have it happen against us.”

It makes sense. Episcopal is a team rich in history, having won the conference title seven times since the turn of the century and two PAISAA titles in 2018 and 2023. They won both championships last season and returned 16 seniors to this 2024 team. So, they are no stranger to talent and success. 

Episcopal hit the ground running and were rewarded by their aggressive play early on. After SCH was unable to clear the ball out of their side, Kate Dente passed to Bridget Dempsey booted a shot high enough out of the reach of goalkeeper Gracyn Torchiana-Lee but just low enough to sneak under the crossbar for Episcopal’s first goal in just over 10 minutes of play. 

“For us, sometimes we have trouble getting momentum until the end,” Dempsey said. “I think we did a really good job of coming out strong… connecting passes, moving the ball really well and trying to wear them down. I think that’s ultimately why we got that opportunity where Kate passed it to me and then get a shot off.”

It would be the lone goal of the half, but the Churchwomen continuously took chances. Chances on net, chances with the ball in SCH’s area, and chances with the ball in their possession… all three components in which they dominated. 

When the Blue Devils tried to form a run, Episcopal was all over it, defending SCH well in which they were not able to form anything too threatening on goal. 

“We’re super organized,” Ava Le said. “I think we were very decisive in what we were doing. We were communicating everything. I think sometimes we had lapses of that in the beginning of the season and we are getting a lot better at it. I’m really proud of the way we executed.”

Fraggos would add, “our defense has been pretty solid all year. Even in our loses that we have had, they’ve been one-goal games. A lot of teams that we play, especially in the Inter-Ac, know especially since we have so many seniors who have been playing with us for four years, they know what we have and know what we’re coming at them with. So, our defense stepped up and that’s great.”

Episcopal wanted to start fast and gain momentum early and that would go for the second half as well. 

So, how early of a score is too early? The Churchwomen would probably tell you this scenario does not exist. However, they would accept their quick execution during the start of the second half where Maya Bright took the ball left baseline, got to Dente, who passed outwards to Quinn Whittaker who shot for a goal with just over two minutes into the second half. Episcopal went up 2-0. 

“We knew we needed to connect shots a little bit more and passing more in the final third,” Episcopal’s goalkeeper, Lauren Kreamer said. “So, to see our practice translate to the game is huge and to see the shots that we get off in warmups actually translate to the game is even better.”

The Churchwomen continued to send numbers down field, overpowering SCH with their midfielders and new formation they had been using for a brief period. 

They would add their third and final goal, really putting away the Blue Devils during the 66th minute where Dempsey added her second goal of the match. With Lee-Torchiana out of goal trying to contest a loose ball, Dempsey flicked the ball over her after getting the ball from Devon Stewart.

“I thought I was offsides and then Devon did a really good job of cutting it back and giving me an assist… which she is always distributing balls but I just got a touch on it and was able to take a shot because the goal keeper came out.”

The win ultimately jumped EA  (8-2-1, league), over Agnes Irwin for second place in the Inter-Ac and half a game behind SCH (9-2, league). The Churchwomen have put together a solid run, making it the fourth win in a row in the conference. 

Maybe it should not have been a surprise on the outcome or how convincing the Churchwomen were. After all, they could not do anything about the previous games, they could only take their schedule one game at a time.

“We came into this game knowing we had nothing to lose,” Kreamer said. “Starting off the season like that really put us into a bad situation. But for us to be able to come together, work together and to make it out on top is huge.”

In terms of last season, the Churchwomen were highly successful. They won both their conference and the state championships. They won all their games in conference play except for one in which they tied SCH at their place. This year, that same game was a 1-0 SCH win. 

“Repeating is tough and the year after you win, you are the team to beat,” Fraggos said. “You are going to get every team in the league’s best game. We were prepared for that, some games more than others, but I do see us responding and we have games like this we put together and taking the team who is first in the league right now to 3-0.”

When noted how it was unusual to see a few loses and a tie for EA comparing them to last year’s team, Fraggos acknowledged that the reality of this year being the final season for 16 of the players struck home and helped the team embrace the moment. 

“I always see this and a lot with seniors when we get to mid-October,” Fraggos said. “They have this, ‘my high school season is almost over.’ And I see it always with my seniors every single year. And when you have 16 of them, having this mentality of, ‘this is it,’ I think you get something pretty special, and I think we can be on a nice little run here at the end of our season.”

Both teams will be competing in the state playoffs starting Nov. 1st.