The GDS women’s varsity soccer team’s season ended on Wednesday, Nov. 9, after the Hoppers lost to Georgetown Visitation at home, by a score of 5–0, in the quarterfinals of the D.C. State Athletic Association tournament.
The game followed the team’s victory in the Independent School League (ISL) Division A tournament and its domination of the division during the regular season. Senior Maya Ryu, a captain, said in a post-game interview, “It was a bonus game. It was a little sprinkle.”
The game started at 2:30 p.m. and, within a minute, Visitation had already made an attempt on goal. The Visitation goalie did not touch the ball until three and a half minutes into the game.
During the first 10 minutes of the game, the ball stayed on GDS’ side, but soon after, GDS narrowly missed a shot. The fan section started the game largely low-energy but, as the half progressed, the spectators became more enlivened.
Visitation made one more attempt on goal during the first 20 minutes but was beaten back by a strong GDS defense.
Visitation’s first goal was scored 14 minutes from half time. Visitation became more physical, fouling two GDS players, including junior Lina Fawaz, who was knocked to the ground after colliding with a Visitation player. Fawaz had to be helped to her seat by high school athletic trainer Veronica Ampey and would not play again for the rest of the half.
Visitation continued to keep the ball on GDS’ side of the field for the rest of the first half, making seven more attempts on the goal, although none of them were successful. Sophomore Jessica Berger made a slide tackle in order to block a shot and then moved the ball upfield, taking a shot from center field that was barely saved by the Visitation goalie. The first half ended with a score of 1–0 in Georgetown Visitation’s favor.
The physicality carried over after halftime, as a Visitation player fouled GDS three minutes into the second half. Visitation would make another attempt on goal before scoring 15 minutes into the second half.
During the second half, the Hoppers made two attempts on Visitation’s goal but were unsuccessful in each of them. Visitation scored again 14 minutes from the end, then again eight minutes after that, then again with two minutes left on the clock. In a post-game interview, head coach Katie Redmond said, “In the last ten minutes, it fell apart.”
By the end of the game, not many spectators were left in the stands, many having filed out during the second half. But freshman Corina Bellermann, the team’s goalie, told the Bit that she felt the team had an advantage playing at home.
In spite of the loss, the women’s varsity team remained upbeat. “This game was the culmination of a successful season,” Redmond said. “Our goals were to win our division and we not only won the division but we won the tournament,” she added, in reference to the ISL Division A tournament.
Redmond’s sentiment was shared by Ryu and seniors Alana Goldstock and Anna Khoury. Ryu and Khoury seemed to be somewhat relieved by the loss, since a win would have meant playing the higher-seeded teams in the tournament. “Even if we had won, we would have played the top team in the city,” Goldstock, a captain, said in an interview.
Since the team won the ISL’s lower division, next year it will be playing in the AA bracket of the ISL, a much more competitive division. When asked about the next season, Redmond told the Bit, “It’s going to be a challenge, but because of our returning players and going in there with a different set of goals, I think we are going to do well.”