Girls soccer: Winning streak ends at nine

Written by Clare McLaughlin
Thursday, 29 October 2009 11:18

A one-goal lead was not enough for the Joel Barlow High girls soccer team when it hosted Newtown.

Despite having a 1-0 advantage, the Falcons would have to step up a bit if they were to hold off their opponents last Monday, Oct. 19. They did not respond in time as the Nighthawks kept battling, eventually tying the score and later going ahead to beat the Falcons 2-1, ending their nine-game winning streak.

Riding high from an 8-0 win over Notre Dame in their previous game the Falcons scored first with a goal by Kelly Haines in the first half. Coach Neil Philips, however, was not satisfied with the team’s performance at half time and urged the girls to revamp their style of play.

Unfortunately, the Falcons did not return to their regular form and let the Nighthawks tie the game at 1-1. Although Barlow outshot Newtown 20-6, the latter scored once more with a goal from a lofting free kick that ended the game 2-1.

After the difficult loss, the Falcons hosted Bunnell the next day for senior night. Unfortunately, the Falcons still did not seem to play at their potential and allowed Bunnell dangerous opportunities.

Bunnell eventually capitalized, pulling ahead 1-0. With a time crunch and immense pressure, the Falcons had difficulty placing their shots on goal and walked away with a disappointing and unexpected loss.

The Falcons got back on track last Friday when they visited Weston. The game was offensively driven with Barlow getting off 25 shots and Weston 10. Despite Weston’s tenacious energy for its own senior night, the Falcons came away with a 3-2 win.

Scoring for Barlow were Haines, Delaney Bracken, and Caroline Bishop. Bracken also posted two assists.

Barlow visited New Fairfield on Monday for its final league game, and dominated play, outshooting the home team 18-8. The result was a 2-0 win that secured the second seed in the upcoming South-West Conference playoffs.

Fiorella Johnson and senior Kim Sniffen both scored for the Falcons, who are now 11-3 overall. They take on seventh-seeded Bethel in the SWC quarterfinals at home on Friday.