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09/20/2015 12:00 AMThe Old Saybrook girls’ soccer team ventured on the road and claimed a hard-fought victory over North Branford by a 3-2 margin on Sept. 18. The Rams notched their first win of the season, while handing the Thunderbirds their first loss in a back-and-forth contest that wasn’t decided until the final minutes. Old Saybrook and North Branford battled frantically throughout the contest and, with just under 10 minutes to go, Rams’ sophomore Allison Bruehwiler scored off a pass by junior Maggie Smith to give the their team the lead for good.
“It was nice to get one of these close ones and to be on the winning side in a tight game,” Coach Larry Bright said. “It’s early in the season and we’re still trying to develop chemistry. We have a good core, but the teamwork was lacking. I think in the second half the team really let it fly and their mindset changed a bit. They fought and it showed in their play and on the scoreboard.”
The Rams got out to a quick start as they notched the game’s first goal at the 4:10 mark. Bruehwiler took a pass from senior Lizzy O’Brien, dribbled right, went across the goalie box, and hit a cross shot to the left corner of the net that went by the goalkeeper.
“I think that first goal early on was huge for us,” Coach Bright said. “The girls needed to see the ball hit the back of the net for their confidence.”
Both teams fought hard and pressured each other on defense for most of the first half before the Thunderbirds broke through against freshman goalie Kelsey True with just under 10 minutes to play. North Branford’s goal evened the game at 1-1 and it stayed that way until the break.
Old Saybrook then fell behind at the 9:15 mark of the second half, when North Branford scored to go up 2-1. After that, the game got chaotic with both teams using flurries of offense that came up just short. Coach Bright saw the momentum swinging in North Branford’s favor and decided to make some substitutions to stem the tide.
“I saw the game getting away from us a bit,” Coach Bright said. “I had a freshman in goal who has done a great job, but that’s a lot of pressure, so I switched to junior Riley Roarick. I also moved Maggie Smith from defense to midfield to sort of stabilize the middle of the field, which was where they were gashing us.”
Coach Bright’s moves paid dividends 18:35 into the latter half as O’Brien and Bruehwiler paired up again to even the match. This time it was the Bruehwiler who slipped the rock by several defenders to the left-footed O’Brien, who flipped it perfectly over the keeper’s head to make it 2-2.
The Rams and T-Birds continued to stress each other’s defense with attacks through the next 10 minutes, but ultimately, it was Old Saybrook that made the contest’s pivotal play. On what turned out to be the game-winning goal, the Rams used offensive intensity to turn the tide. Their pressure on a Thunderbirds’ defender forced an errant pass back to the keeper. Diving for the ball, the goalie was called for an illegal hand ball, which gave Old Saybrook a free indirect kick. Coach Bright drew up a play for Smith to roll the ball just beyond the wall of North Branford defenders and there waited Bruehwiler, who made a quick move with the ball, set her feet, and knocked it across the net and by the T-Birds’ diving goalie at the 29:15 mark. The last 10 minutes saw Old Saybrook play back and maintain possession, although with two minutes to play, North Branford was awarded a free kick. Old Saybrook’s defense stepped up to block the attempt and then ran out the clock for the victory.
“I’m very pleased with the girls’ effort in the second half. I thought we played better and with a lot more intensity,” Coach Bright said. “I told them at the half, this game will come down to heart and who wants to win more. We still have a ways to go, but I think we can be really competitive and make a run at the state playoffs.”
Previously, Old Saybrook lost its first two games of the season to East Hampton (2-1) and Old Lyme (4-0). The Rams’ score in the East Hampton contest came by way of an own-goal from the opposition.
“I expected more out of them in those games,” said Coach Bright. “I think we came out sluggish versus East Hampton. Old Lyme may be the best team in the Shoreline Conference and they ripped us for three scores in the first period. In the second, we held them to one goal and I think that was a turning point to where they said, ‘We can play with this team.’”