This week we’re reviewing some highlights from DA’s fall sports season. Today take a look at the girls soccer team’s performance in a particularly competitive league this year.
By Bob York
If you were a member of the Big Green girls soccer team, or an avid fan of it, this was not a season for the faint of heart, as you would soon discover.
When the final whistle sounded at Choate this fall, Deerfield looked back upon a 5-8-3 season. But of those 16 games, 10 ended in either a tie or a one-goal deficit, as the Big Green went 2-5-3 in those encounters and was 2-1 in games decided by a two-goal margin.
“It was a very competitive league this year,” said Heidi Valk, the Big Green coach. A couple more goals here or there in some of those games and who knows, we might have made it to the tournament.”
Connie Rhodes (’12) who earned berths on the Boston Globe All-Scholastic team as well as the All-League squad, was Deerfield’s leading scorer this fall as she tallied 13 of the Big Green’s 28 goals. She also set up six other scores to give her 19 points on the season. And the laurels don’t end there for Rhodes. She and Joanna Davin (’12) have been elected co-captains of next year’s team.
Charlotte Dewey (’11) was next in line with eight points on five goals and three assists, while Katlyn Casey (’11) had two goals and three assists for five points. Sarah Behringer (’14) had five points as well, on one goal and four assists.
At the other end of the field, goalie Jackie Tavella (’11) headed up a defensive unit that chalked up three shutouts and limited opponents to an average of 2.0 goals a game. Helping Tavella out on defense were Allie Gray (’11), who was named winner of this year’s Marjorie Ellis Cup as the team MVP, and Halley Dewey (’11), who earned a spot on the All-League team. Phoebe Burr (’11), Carley Porter (’12), and Davin also played key roles on defense.
“It didn’t necessarily show in the record book (3-3-1),” said Valk, “but we played much better during the second half of the season … even though we played many of the better teams in the league during that span.”
One of those wins—a 1-0 decision over Choate on a goal by Vanessa Avalone (’13)—was particularly sweet.
“We were headed to the playoffs last year and they knocked us off and eliminated our chances to make postseason play,” said Valk. “This year, they were tournament bound … until we beat them. It felt good to pay them back.”
Bob York is a Recorder wire editor. His e-mail address is byork@recorder.com.