JV Girls Soccer Matches Forces with McNeil Mavericks 0-0
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As she approaches the sideline, midfielder Kate Cotey ’26 dribbles the ball from incoming opposition. Though the play resulted in a throw-in, Cotey gained a ground for the Warriors and maintained possession throughout.
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In the Westwood defending third, Prithika Chandrasekhar ’25 heads the ball as it begins to descend from a goal kick. Chandrasekhar’s consistent and aggressive play led to many shots on goal for the home team.
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With a traid of Mavericks surrounding her, Tayla Score ’25 seeks out Bailey Shuford ’25 for a pass. Both Score and Shuford worked to maintain home team possession and continue creating offensive opportunities.
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Along the far side of the field, Prithika Chandrasekhar ’25 passes the ball. It’s the responsibility of the team’s midfielders to maintain possession around center field and create plays and opportunities for the forwards.
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With her eyes fixed on the ball, Mallo Milner ’24 charges past a McNeil player. Her midfield rushes contributed to many of the game’s main shots on goal.
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As she brushes elbows with a McNeil attacker, defender Carla Canfran ’25 maintains possession of the ball. Both teams had star defensive players who kept the game a long-running stalemate.
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The JV girls’ soccer team faced off against McNeil on Tuesday, Feb. 28, in an even battle of offensive drives and defensive plays.
The Mavericks received the kickoff, but no major plays were made within the first part of the game. Instead, attacking momentum stalled as both teams fought for the ball around midfield. A few shots made it to the penalty box, but each resulted in a goal-kick to send the ball back to the center. Both teams featured reliable defensive lines that stopped all advances, with no standout shots breaking through the walls.
In the last ten minutes of the first half, the Warriors began to pick up their intensity, moving gradually into the attacking third. With consistent passes from Prithika Chandrasekhar ‘25, offensive players Bella Keene ‘25 and Natalie Safarik ‘26 led the charge from the front lines, each holding their own with shots on goal and offensive runs. After a slew of corner kicks, one ball made it to the goal box. But after a knock on the crossbar, an attempted header, and a rebound kick, it landed out of bounds, and the play concluded with no goal.
A similar pattern continued into the second half, with Taylor Hatton ‘25, Payton Vopat ‘26, Hallie Lott ‘25, and Mallo Milner ‘24 joining the attacking fray. The home team’s forwards launched drive after drive and shot after shot, but none found the back of the net,- despite the enthusiastic cheers from the JV and varsity players on the sidelines.
After a powerful – yet still unsuccessful – shot from Safarik, McNeil’s offense began to increase energy and attacking power. They drove the ball in the other direction but could not make it past Westwood’s defense. Middle back Anella Mason ‘25, one of the sole players on for the entirety of the game, continuously blocked the away team’s advances and cleared the ball back to the center.
“I feel like the game went okay,” Mason said. “We shouldn’t have tied that, but we did a good job possessing [the ball].”
The JV girls will take on the Manor Mustangs at the Warrior Bowl on Tuesday, March 7, at 5:30 p.m.
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