By Cody Pomeranz, ’11, Sports Section Editor
With a record of 11-5-1, the girls soccer team has played yet another remarkable season. After losing a big senior class following last year’s sectional championship season, the Indians weren’t expected to repeat their success. But, as senior captain Xanni Brown said confidently, “We surpassed those expectations. Considering all of the seniors we lost, this was an amazing season.” Brown led the team with 17 goals on the season. Fellow senior captains included Liza Cohen, who was second on the team in goals, Emma Weinstein, and Corey Tipton (pictured), who will play at the collegiate level for Bucknell next fall.
As if the loss of seniors wasn’t enough, the team was beleaguered by injury and illness. Top players like Tipton and junior Alexandra McInturf suffered early injuries, while other key players, including sophomore Sirena Isadore and junior goalkeeper Blythe Gross-Hutton were sidelined by illness. Nevertheless, the team persevered and put up phenomenal numbers. “With all of the obstacles we had to overcome, this was one of my favorite teams in 20 years,” said Head Coach Theresa Hirschauer. Coming from a woman who has coached the greatest CCDS teams of the past two decades, that comment alone says how good this team really was.
Despite injury, illness, and youth, the seniors stepped up to the plate and led the team to a second place finish in the Miami Valley Conference. “This is some of the greatest senior leadership I’ve ever seen,” said Coach Hirschauer. The team earned tough victories against teams like Seven Hills, Taylor, and Roger Bacon, and fought hard against bigger schools like Indian Hill, which the Indians lost to 1-0. Other key contributors to the team’s success included juniors Jamie Huelskamp, Alexis Victor, Gretchen Weigel, and goalkeeper Blythe Gross-Hutton. Also crucial were sophomores Lily Cohen and Ari Knue. Indeed, Knue led the team in assists and was a key factor with her outstanding corner kicking ability.
In the end, the Indians reached the second round of sectionals, where they fell to the league champions, Summit Country Day, 1-0. Though the Indians were unable to defend their sectional title, they proved to the rest of the league that they could overcome everything thrown at them and be a force to be reckoned with in the MVC and the entire city. The girls once again reaffirmed themselves as members of a dominant program. “It was just a really fun season,” said Brown.
Photo by Ilana Habib.
