SHS Girls reach the playoffs for the 1st time!

Congratulations Lady Warriors!!!

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From the Seekonk Star

By Mike Rego

SEEKONK — The Seekonk High girls’ soccer squad made school history Thursday afternoon, Oct. 28, at the Cole Street complex by earning the first-ever postseason appearance in the 17-year existence of the program with its 4-2 victory over visiting Greater New Bedford Voc in a South Coast Conference contest.

Freshman Kim Marques’ tally in the 75th minute of play proved the decisive goal as the Warriors guaranteed themselves at least a .500 overall record, improving to 7-5-6 with two games remaining on their regular season slate and earning spot in the upcoming Division Three South Sectional tournament.

“It’s exciting. I really don’t know how to describe it, but it’s cool,” Marques said of Seekonk clinching a playoff berth.

The Warriors are back in action Friday afternoon, Oct. 29, in Taunton for a non-league date against Coyle & Cassidy. Seekonk completes its regular and SCC seasons next Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 2, at home against Apponequet.

“That was a good New Bedford Voc team we played today. They are vastly improved. They’re not a push-over for us anymore,” said SHS head coach Tom Crowley. “So I’m really pleased. We have a couple more games to go and maybe we can improve our winning percentage for a better seed in the tournament. But this is a big deal.”

Thursday in their history-making contest, the Warriors started off on the front foot, controlling the action for the better part of 17 minutes before notching the game’s initial tally. After a few close calls, Marques crossed a pass deep inside the 18-yard box to mate Megan DeBarros, who side-footed a shot by the Voc keeper for the goal.

From there, however, the locals lost the momentum of the game. The Bears took advantage of some passive Seekonk defense to net the tying goal by Sydney Mota just four minutes later on what really was Voc’s first sustained attack of the contest.

The Bears kept the pressure on the locals, finding the go-ahead goal on a rather innocuous shot by Sarah Oliveira in the 35th minute that diving Warriors’ keeper Ashley Goyette got her hands on, though not before it had crossed the line. Voc would take its 2-1 lead to intermission.

“The first half was terrible,” said Crowley. “It was the worst half of soccer we’ve played all season. But in the second half they were able come back and settle down. They started to play the ball down and we started to have some success. We have the ability to score goals now that we’ve never had. So this was a good result for us.”

The Warriors, as they did to begin the game, were by far the aggressors to open the final 40 minutes. And a lot like the first period, Seekonk peppered the Voc net with shots, but did not score. The locals, in fact, had eight true quality attempts come up empty before they notched the leveler.

DeBarros was the goal-scorer, capping what was a near perfect sequence of team soccer. Freshman Tracy Moszkewicz made a superb play from her left defense half position, sliding to keep the ball alive and sending a pass up the sideline to senior co-captain Heather Glynn. Glynn out-worked a Voc midfielder, forcing a throw-in, which she took quickly, delivering to mate Christina Mowry. Mowry dribbled down the left side then crossed to DeBarros, who settled and shot for the goal in the 55th minute.

Unlike the first half, the Warriors did not relent. Rather, they seemed even more determined to find the game-winner, doing so in the 75th minute. Marques got on the end of a through-ball just outside the 18 to the right. One-v-one with the on-rushing keeper, Marques slid a soft shot towards net. It was stopped by a trailing Voc defender, but her clearing attempt fell right back to Marques, who didn’t waste her second chance. The freshman put a little more on the second shot, scoring the historic goal.

“It just kind went and I was like yeah,” said an understated Marques. “I was trying just to get it in on the first shot, but it really didn’t work. So I just kept at it and it eventually went in.”

With the Bears pressing and the Warriors still intent, Glynn got in on the action, adding an insurance tally in the 77th on a pretty chip from the left side of the 18 high into the upper 90 of the Voc cage.

“It’s amazing,” said Glynn, a four-year member of the program. “I think we picked it up in the second half. The first half we didn’t play that great, but we definitely picked it up in the second half. We’re in the playoffs. I can’t even believe we’ve made it. I feel like I’ve been wanting this my whole life.”

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Glynn said she and her teammates aren’t satisfied with just getting into the playoffs. They, as Crowley noted, would like to improve their tournament seeding and want to continue their winning ways of late. The Warriors’ run to playoffs includes a recent unbeaten stretch that reached eight games (6-0-2) after Thursday’s victory.

“We’re just going to go out and play hard. That’s what we try to do all the time,” Glynn added. “We want to keep winning. We want to keep this undefeated streak going.”

MORE GIRLS' NOTES

* Crowley has been intimately involved in the SHS program, both currently and at its inception. His daughter, Kelly, and her close friend, Ashley Kaplan, spurred the introduction of the program back when in 1994.

* Another person very familiar with the origins of the program is Ed Cunnard. Cunnard, a teacher at the school who also serves as the official scorer at games, was the first-ever SHS girls' soccer head coach. He held the position for 10 years after the young Crowley and Kaplan, who was playing on the boys' team at the time, urged them help.

* To view or purchase more SHS girls' soccer pics click the following link...

http://eastbayri.myc...6219&CategoryID=9223

This is a wonderful and historic achievement for this Lady Warriors team and program! It has been a long time coming. The pride of this accomplishment should also be shared by all the players who came before them, the SYS program of volunteers including coaches, field prep and board members, the previous SHS coaches, the parents who cheered at the sidelines and carted the girls around to so many camps and skills programs, and all SHS girls' soccer supporters. Everyone worked so hard over the past 17 years to create, improve and keep the SHS girls soccer program going and growing stronger.

Seekonk should be proud!