A tie is a good thing for girls soccer squad
BY LINDAWILLAIMS
Last Halloween Tuesday, the team faced Mashpee, the Cape nemesis that soundly trounced Nantucket in the second week of play way back in September, 8-0, for what would be the worst loss of the season. Nantucket had something to prove before a home crowd to end the season against a Mashpee squad that needed the win to ensure a playoff berth. Nantucket had a few tricks up its sleeve and was not about to provide any treats for the opponent.

Before the game, Nantucket Coach Jorge Rojas told everyone that they would all get their chance on the pitch during the game and there was no pressure anymore. However, after Nantucket scored the players had another idea. Somewhere in the first half the girls started taking the game seriously and wanted

to win.

Nantucket held Mashpee at bay for 14 minutes before they got on the board first, on a low skimmer from the 18 that tall, lanky keeper Shantel Hanniford could not get down fast enough. That is where Mashpee's scoring would end. Nantucket then turned up the volume and started challenging every ball. Rojas stated that "it showed all the hard work we have done all season and with no pressure on them they were out there having fun and somehow getting back into the game."

About 20 minutes in, Kate MacLellan started doing what she has done best all season and threaded the ball through several defenders to find herself alone at the corner of the six yard line to deftly put the shot away from the keeper, a shot she had been working on all season. The teams went into the break knotted at 1-1 where it would be 40 minutes later.

As has been the case all season, Nantucket had many chances to score but nothing would make a slight detour into the net, or take the right bounce off the crossbar or post. Mashpee began to lose composure and started to panic on the field seeing their playoff hopes disintegrating. Nantucket continued to remain calm and methodically went to work. "I told the girls it was important for them to deny the win to Mashpee and be the spoiler after being beaten so badly in the first game," Rojas praised. "It showed the good character of the team as a unit and the girls did not pack up their bags and forget about this game. They took it seriously after the goal." Rojas added, "like I always say, it is 80 percent mental, with everybody playing very well and a feeling that everyone did everything right to end the season on a high note".

Rojas was philosophical. "You cannot tell the future before the 80th minute. You never know what is going to happen and it showed in this game as they all expected to be beaten 5-0 even after they had improved over the season. It is a funny sport and you never know what is going to happen. Anyone can beat anyone at any time."

Rojas saw the level of maturity being the greatest change in the girls over the season. "We had to try to get out of the diapers of the JV season to get more mature on and off the field and take the whole philosophy to the next level." After a slow start to the season the team began to come together and the record showed it after about three weeks. The team lost to eventual Lighthouse Conference winner Cape Cod Academy 5-2 the first time around and then six weeks later tied them in a thriller of a game 0-0 providing the only non-win for CCA in the Conference with Nantucket finishing with a respectable 3-1-2 Conference

record. Savio Prep came to Nantucket and tied the team 2-2 and then Nantucket traveled to Savio Prep and beat them convincingly 3-1 playing what Rojas called "pretty good soccer".

He is looking forward to next season, and feels 2007 will be a championship season, especially with all but one senior player coming back and outstanding CPS players coming up to provide "healthy competition". "It was an outstanding first year record of 6-8-4 for a first time varsity team. We finished just out of the playoffs, and had two games against D-1 teams. We are happy and I am happy with the season."

Rojas felt that the "future looks very bright and we will all learn from analyzing ourselves over the winter." However, Rojas stressed the importance of the girls playing soccer yearround. "If they put the cleats away in the closet and just show up on August 23rd we are not going to have a good season. They need to do something between now and the fall that involves a soccer ball. It is a difficult sport and the players need to practice with the ball on the feet and make a close personal relationship with the ball. If they do that we will be a very good team."

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