Varsity Girls Soccer Earns Some Respect

The Ivy League's Girls Varsity Soccer Division is widely regarded to be the strongest private school girls soccer league in the metropolitan area. So this past week when the Portledge Lady Panthers were scheduled to take on two of the perennial powerhouses of this league (Poly Prep and Riverdale), there was a good deal of anticipation from the Portledge faithful.

How Did the Girls Do Against Poly Prep?

What turned out to be the toughest thing about this match for the VGS team was trying to regain their momentum and spirit following their huge win at LWA. The Lady Panthers just could not find the same type of spark and struggled to create quality scoring chances against the Dark Blue side of Poly. Towards the end of the game Poly's dynamic #4 sent a long ball into the Portledge penalty area that was misplayed a bit by the home side's defense and goalie. A Poly Prep attacker pounced on the loose ball and Portledge trailed by a score of 1-0 with time running out. Although they fought hard in the closing minutes and almost put one away from some excellent dribbling by Alex DeVivo, it was not to be on this day, as Poly was victorious by a score of 1-0. Things would not get any easier two days later when the Lady Panthers would face an even higher rated Ivy opponent in the Riverdale Country School.

What Happened in the Riverdale Game?

What happened was that the Portledge girls played some of the finest soccer in the history of the program. In an incredibly quick and fast paced game, with hard tackling throughout, the Lady Panthers stood up to everything the Riverdale girls threw at them and then some. The play moved with amazing speed from end to end as both teams created some excellent scoring chances. Sophomore goalie Chelsea Estevez was sensational in the Portledge net making 10 tough saves in all, only to be matched by the solid play of the Riverdale keeper. Portledge's best chance came when Midfielder Mo Kelly got loose down the right side and sent a rocketed cross in front of the RCS net. With both DeVivo and Caracciolo speeding towards her, the Riverdale goalie handled the tough chance with great aplomb and the opportunity went for not. The game was called because of darkness with 8 minutes remaining on the clock and both sides were left to wonder "what if" a bit. The Lady Panthers can take a great deal from this game though. They competed at an equal level with one of the best teams in the city and came away with a renewed sense of confidence and purpose. The girls will be playing on the road this Tuesday in the PSAA semi finals, probably @ Berkeley Carroll in Brooklyn. Please check the athletic hot line (515-750-3162) on Tuesday morning for more specific details. Good luck girls- go get em'.