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09/19/2015 12:00 AMThe Valley Regional girls’ soccer team won its second game in as many tries by besting Cromwell 4-1 at home on Sept. 16, using a hat trick from junior wing Maleena Frazier to defeat the rival Panthers.
After facing each other five days earlier in a game the Warriors won 4-2, Valley and Cromwell both came out a bit sluggish on a blisteringly hot afternoon in Deep River. The teams battled to a scoreless first half that featured some stellar goalkeeping by Valley junior Morgan Bakoledis and her Cromwell counterpart Kelsey Corcoran, but Warriors’ Head Coach Yves Noiset made a few adjustments at the break and his team came out firing in the second stanza.
“I’m not sure why we started so slowly today. Maybe because it was our first time playing on this field this year. I don’t know,” Coach Noiset said. “But in the second half, we made a lot of opposite corner moves to free up our wings and began passing with a purpose. The girls started playing skillfully—not just stealing the ball and hitting it. They did something with it in a positive way and found open teammates for good looks on the goal.”
The scoring drought ended quickly in the second half and the goals kept on coming for the Warriors. In the first minute of play, Frazier blew past the defense on the left side and scorched one into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
The teams then exchanged shots on goal and jostled for position for awhile until there was 29:50 to go, when junior Sydney Lee, who played aggressively all day, headed in a corner kick to make it 2-0.
The Warriors kept attacking with waves of shots and, after a beautiful assist from senior Ashley Sherman, Frazier netted her second goal of the match to extend the advantage to 3-0 with 11:22 remaining.
Valley and Frazier weren’t done, though. Just 21 seconds later, Frazier took the ball on the right side, flew down the field, and blasted another ball by the Cromwell keeper to give the Warriors a commanding 4-0 lead.
“We came out in the second half and played much better together. There was a better understanding of where each player had to be on the field and we knew where to go with the ball because everyone was in the right spot,” Frazier said. “Coach talked to us and I just think we played more cohesive soccer after the break.”
One of Valley’s standout players in the game was senior captain Annie Carl. She didn’t score any goals or show up on the stat sheet, but did the dirty work defensively to help her team succeed.
“I can’t say enough good things about Annie. She marks out the opposing teams best player every game for us,” said Noiset. “Annie gets assigned the most difficult match-ups and uses her talent and experience as a midfielder to make life tough on that player. We also use her as a defenseman sometimes. She’s a leader and has a selfless attitude that really makes our team go.”
2015 looks to be an exciting year for the Valley girls’ soccer squad. With seven seniors returning and some talented and experienced juniors and underclass athletes on their roster, the Warriors are seeking to make the leap from their 8-5-4 record last season to become one of the top squads in the Shoreline Conference. With key players such as Frazier (who has 5 goals on the season), senior wing Sherman, Lee, Carl, and senior defender Kaleigh Caulfield, the Warriors are off to a quick start toward achieving their goals.
“We have seven seniors and great young players who worked incredibly hard in the offseason, especially in summer league under Coach [Steve] Tolley. I feel like our team has a lots of leadership and character and we play with energy,” Carl said. “Everyone enjoys being together and we push each other to be at the top of our game each day. Coach Noiset puts us all in a place to be successful and, if we do the right things on the field, it should be a great season.”
Previously in Valley’s season opener on Sept. 11, the team went on the road to face Cromwell and won 4-2 behind two goals apiece from Frazier and Sherman. With their quick-strike ability and passion for the game, the Warriors are looking forward to a memorable year.
“I think we have what it takes to get into the top four in the Shoreline [Conference] and qualify for the division playoffs. I think that goal is attainable for us,” Coach Noiset said. “Having Maleena back 100 percent after playing with injuries for most of last year is a big factor. I also think the younger players are going to gain valuable experience as the season goes on and we will need them to step up to reach our goals.”
• Valley Regional’s senior class is comprised of captains Annie Carl (midfielder), Kaleigh Caulfield (defender), Gabby Giangrande (goalie), Hannah Robertson (defender), Ashley Sherman (forward), Sam Torrenti (midfielder), and Danna Ramcke (forward).
• Last year, the Warriors went 8-4-4 for the regular season before taking a 4-1 loss to Weston in the first round of the Class M State Tournament.
• Yves Noiset is in his third year as Warriors’ head coach and his assistant coaches are Steve Kleiman and Allyson Pitney, the latter who also coaches the JV team.