Greenwich Academy Rolls Into Girls Soccer Final

GREENWICH, Conn. – The Greenwich Academy girls soccer team is back in the league championship game for the third straight year. Breakout freshman forward Meghan Root scored her 16th goal of the season and assisted on another, as the Gators blanked Greens Farms Academy on Wednesday afternoon, 2-0.

Defense and superb passing ruled the day for Greenwich Academy, which kept Greens Farms from getting a shot in the first 30 minutes. Sarah Whylly and the other Gators midfielders kept play mostly in the middle of the field, denying Greens Farms many serious offensive threats.

“We came out very strong in the first half. Our back four defended extremely well to keep it tight,” Greenwich Academy head coach Alistair Lonsdale said. “You can’t fault Greens Farms' effort. They came at us really hard in the second half.”

Greenwich Academy got on the board in the 13th minute with a goal by Olivia Rovelli. Root raced into Greens Farms territory and took a shot but was denied by the Dragons’ keeper Caroline Kruk. Root got a foot on the rebound, which squirted to a waiting Rovelli for the eventual game-winner.

The Gators added a crucial insurance goal in the 45th minute off a direct kick from midfield by Catherine Sands. The shot trickled through the Greens Farms defenders, where Root drilled it into the right side of the net.

“I’m just trying to do what I can for the team and for the seniors,” Root said. “We wanted to put the struggle on them to come back. One goal isn’t really a lead, so that second goal was a relief.”

Greens Farms’ offense tried to rally in the second half with a refocused attack. Gators keeper Kat Goldsmith made six saves. Defender Isabelle Dumoulin lent a helping hand to Goldsmith, coming up with two saves on point-blank shots when a ball snuck behind the Greenwich Academy keeper with four minutes to play.

Greenwich Academy (11-2-4) will try for its third straight Fairchester Athletic Association championship Friday at top-ranked St. Luke’s (12-2-1). The title game will be at 2:30 p.m.

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