By: Janine Karo ’15
Section editor

Tensions and spirits were high on Sept. 24 as the varsity girls soccer team took on perennial rival Pennington and ended with a 2-3 loss with only three minutes left in double overtime.

“Pennington is always a physical and very skilled team but I was proud that our girls responded to that and played some very good soccer,” Coach Courtney Jackson said. “There was a lot of heart and fire in the game, and our performance served as a good measure of both how well we can play now as well as how much better we have the potential to be later in the season.”

A loss against such a well-respected team can hurt, and Co-Coach Matthew Roach advised players to “let it sting today” after the post-game team meeting. However, he encouraged the girls to manifest their defeated mentality into motivation for excellence on the field.

“We played our best game of the season so far against Pennington, and so I think we actually emerged from the game with a lot of confidence,” Roach said. “Obviously, losing a game in double overtime after you’ve had a two-goal lead is heartbreaking— but we really battled out there, and we were in a position to win. I think we took a huge step towards being the kind of team that can win big MAPL games.”

The team looks forward to a potential rematch in the state championships this November.