5/6 Soccer Teams Are Impressive v. East Woods

Last Thursday I did not travel with the 7/8 Soccer teams to their away games, so that I could get a could look at the progress of our 5/6 Girls and Boys Soccer teams. Both teams were taking on their opposing sides from East Woods, and what I found was that the competition, sportsmanship and general enthusiasm around the grounds were all at a very high level. Parents from both schools mingled with each other, and thoroughly enjoyed watching their children compete in programs that seem to emphasize all the right things about sports.

What Happened At the 5/6 Girls Game?

The Portledge 5/6 Girls Soccer team has come a long way since the early days of September. The squad's teamwork and spirit were both excellent on this day, as they played their way to a 1-0 victory over the green and white. Many individuals were particularly impressive, but what struck me the most was the way the girls supported each other with cheers and encouraging screams. 6th grader Lauren Dorsey was fantastic in goal. She turned away several good attempts by East Woods in the first half, before giving way to Nicole Alechman, who played some fine net during the second half. Once again, Claudia Ruiz provided the scoring as she finished off a nice passing play by the young Panthers. There were many fine performances on offense though. Grace Keough was creating opportunities all day from her wing position as was Elizabeth Gahagan. Also, the play of Mira Lerner in midfield was key in enabling Portledge to control the flow of play. The defense was solid in front of Dorsey and Alechman in denying East Woods many good scoring chances. Outstanding among this group were Ashley Herzig, Priyanka Ninan , Carley Tsiames and Imani Sewell. Congratulations to all the girls on this fine team. You have come a long way and all improved so much this fall season. In addition, I would like to commend the East Woods players and coach on their fine sportsmanship and play. The green and white was a pleasure to compete with on this day.

How Did the 5/6 Boys Game Go?

The 5/6 Boy's soccer game with East Woods was just as exciting as the girl's game. In fact, I still have a crick in my neck from turning my gaze too quickly from field to field every time I heard a loud cheer ring up. This was a fast paced contest between two solid and evenly matched sides. The play went from end to end, and the goalies of both teams were consistently called on to make great saves. James Anderson was particularly impressive in the goal for Portledge, in that he turned back several East Woods' chances that looked like certain goals. The game ended with East Woods on top by a score of 2-1, but really either side could have won this exciting match.
Patrick Byrnes continued his torrid scoring pace by getting the goal for Portledge. His fine play was supported by great hustle from Cameron Daniels and by some skilled dribbling and distribution from Ronel Juste. The sportsmanship on this field was just as apparent as it was on the girl's field. When the game ended players from the opposing sides spoke and congratulated each other on such a fine game. All in all it was a great afternoon on the Portledge pitches.