Lady Trojans’ soccer fends off Pleasantville in neck and neck homecoming matchup

October 5, 2023 at 1:16 a.m.

Sophomore captain Kayleigh Curran moves head on to receive the ball and work around her Pleasantville opponent during Blind Brook’s homecoming game on Monday, Oct. 2. The game ended in a 0-0 draw after two periods of overtime. (Karina Leonard/Westmore News)

Homecoming is always a bittersweet moment for Blind Brook senior athletes. On the one hand, they get to play in front of the biggest crowd of the year, with their spirited senior classmates keeping the stands loud throughout the night. On the other hand, it marks the symbolic end of their high school sports career. Despite its bittersweet nature, one thing is certain: it’s always a game to remember.

      

For the Blind Brook’s girls’ varsity soccer team, this moment was a long time coming. Originally scheduled for Friday, Sept. 29, the match was postponed until Monday, Oct. 2 due to historic rainfall and flooding. Initially, the team had worries of lowered attendance for a game on a Monday afternoon, as opposed to a Friday night, as well as fears of facing a fiercer opponent in Pleasantville than in Valhalla, their originally scheduled opponent. However, these thoughts were quickly shut down.

The student section was filled on Monday, Oct. 1 for Senior Night as the Trojans took on the Pleasantville Panthers, ranked as one of the top two teams in Blind Brook’s league. The Trojans kept the score in a deadlock throughout the game, with the team’s defense keeping the goal unreachable by Panthers and junior goalie Anna Vnenchak taking back every ball that somehow made its way through. On offense, Blind Brook had plenty of runs on the goal, including several nearly-scoring shots by freshman Lola Gonzalez. Through regulation and two periods of overtime, the game ended in a scoreless draw that kept the crowd on their feet the entire night.

No matter win, lose, or draw, the most important aspect of homecoming is honoring the seniors who have dedicated their time and effort to the team. This year’s seniors—Alexandra Beatty, Jessie Kron, Veronica Pallotta, Marissa Savner, Ava Shaw and Jordan Sternschein—were all honored at a pre-game rose ceremony, accompanied by their parents and other family members to cap off their careers.

The Trojans will play again at home on Saturday, Oct. 7 when they will take on Bronxville, kicking off at 1 p.m. The team will then travel to Rye Neck on Tuesday, Oct. 10 for a 4:30 p.m. game. Blind Brook will stay on the road for a Thursday, Oct 12 matchup, trying their hand at Valhalla in a match under the lights at 7 p.m.