The GDS women’s varsity soccer team opened the season on Thursday, Sept. 5 against local rival Jackson-Reed.
The game was a physical battle, ending in a 0–0 draw.
Both teams took the field, GDS in green and Jackson-Reed in white, after a quick huddle with their coaches. Jackson-Reed started with the ball and the game opened with physical play from both sides and rapid changes of possession.
Jackson-Reed had a near miss in the second minute, almost scoring a goal. Jackson-Reed played four defensive players guarding their net and used them to open up the field and create runs down the sidelines.
As the game progressed, physical tackles and constant pressure continued, with both teams failing to maintain meaningful possessions due to intense defense. An early corner kick from GDS resulted in a header which was slightly off target.
Both teams began to string together passes and make meaningful offenses. These offensive efforts lead to a Jackson-Reed cross-field pass and chances for the GDS forwards.
In the ninth minute, GDS was awarded a penalty shot for senior Mara Grace. Her shot was stopped by a well-timed save from the Jackson-Reed goalkeeper.
From the tenth minute to the 20th, aggressive play and strong passes put pressure on both goalkeepers. However, as some of these through balls were inaccurate, possession changed hands frequently.
After a Jackson-Reed free kick in the 21st minute, GDS mounted a strong-willed attack with a couple of chances. However, Jackson-Reed warded this attack off with last-ditch defending and fundamental defense.
Jackson-Reed responded with an offense of their own when the GDS formation broke down, resulting in two Jackson-Reed chances. These were stopped, however, by junior Corina Bellermann, the GDS goalkeeper, in the 28th and 29th minutes.
The half wound down with GDS beginning to value possession more and take more touches in front of the eighteen-yard box. GDS did string together one last attempt, which was stopped by an offside ruling. Physicality was present from both sides, but as the game progressed Jackson-Reed became the key aggressors, being the more physically intense team.
Although Jackson-Reed came out of halftime challenging Bellermann, she came through, making two standout saves and keeping the game scoreless. Head Coach Katie Redmond said that at halftime she tried to motivate her players to “hit feet further upfield [and] find some possession in [their] offense.”
The half continued with the GDS offense unfolding a bold attack with strong possession and well-strung passes. This attempt fell short of a goal with a clearance from Jackson-Reed carrying the game to the fifty-sixth minute, where Jackson-Reed was close to scoring.
The game became more tense as the minutes wound down, causing increased physicality and agitation between teams.
In the 70th minute, the GDS backline mishandled a clearance and allowed a breakaway, giving a clear shot on goal to a Jackson-Reed player, who skied the ball over the crossbar, missing the goal.
The game finished with final offensive attempts from both teams, but the score remained 0–0.
“I thought we could have definitely played better and connected more passes,” said senior Mara Grace, who was a standout in the game. “I felt we did not capitalize on their chances. I think we have a lot of good individual players, especially underclassmen, but [they] need to work on playing as a team more.”
“A lot of the seniors are really nice, so it’s a really good environment,” freshman Cia Carr said.
Redmond said her team “controlled the ball really well [and] moved the ball really well.”
GDS will play Potomac in their next match on September 10 at GDS.