Blair conquers Northwest

Oct. 11, BLAZER STADIUM—

For the first time this season the girls' varsity soccer team took control of a close game, securing a 2-1 win over the Northwest Jaguars. Previously, Blair's victories had consisted of complete shutouts over clearly less talented teams, or close losses against evenly-matched teams. Tonight, however, the Blazers showed a determination to end their losing streak and prove that they can win games against challenging opponents.

Coming out after last night's upsetting loss in double overtime to Damascus, the Blazers started the first half sluggishly. Blair's defense did not exhibit its usual power and resilience, as Northwest's strikers repeatedly broke through. Blair was often left relying solely on junior keeper Maggie Sullivan to make a save.

The Blazers also lacked offensive intensity during the first 40 minutes. Although the team had several promising breakaways, Blair's inadequate aggression allowed the Northwest goalie to take possession of the ball before the strikers had a clear shot. Juniors Elena Talbott and Danielle Peck, along with freshman Annie Worden, were all able to continually challenge Northwest's defenders, but Blair as a whole could simply not convert on mistakes made by the Northwest keeper. In one instance midway through the half, Peck shot the ball from inside the box and goalie initially fumbled it, but quickly scrambled towards the ball, stopping it inches before it crossed the line. Minutes later, Talbott tried to take advantage of the goalie's poor positioning, but failed in her attempt to chip the ball over the goalie and into the net.

Finally, towards the end of the half, the Blazers began to assert themselves on offense. Senior sweeper Sophie Esparza started taking control of the ball early and confidently dribbling the ball up the field to take the shot. Blair still continued some of their earlier trends and was unable to score, even with the boosted level of intensity. Still with the game tied at 0-0, Blair came off the field ready to take control in the second half.

In an inspiring halftime speech, coach Robert Gibb pointed out that the Blazers should not let such a winnable game slip out of their hands. "We can't afford to play sluggishly in the beginning and then try to desperately win back the game in the final minutes," emphasized Gibb.

Blair's increased confidence from the first half carried over, and Blair had much greater success on offense. Well into the half, Worden launched the ball into the air with a strong kick towards the middle of the field. Seizing the opportunity, Peck beat the Northwest defender to the ball as it dropped, touching it past her and curving it past the keeper to bring the score to 1-0.

Unfortunately, Blair's lead was soon relinquished when, with eight minutes on the clock, Sullivan positioned herself too far out of the goal, allowing the Jaguars to net a goal and tie up the game. The level of excitement in the stands noticeably dropped after Northwest scored, reflecting the fans unanimous feeling of deja-vu, and concern that this game might conclude in yet another disappointing overtime loss.

Gibb articulated the worried feeling shared by the players and fans at this point in the game. "For Blair to come out and battle, and then for [Northwest] to come back and tie us, I could feel everyone thinking `here we go again,'" said Gibb.

But in the final two minutes, the Blazers prevailed. Junior Allison Reuben split two Northwest defenders in a speedy breakaway, leaving them trailing behind her, and shot the ball past the keeper to score Blair's second goal, which ultimately ensured a win for the Blazers.

After the game, Gibb explained that Blair's triumphant win over Northwest represents a turning point for the Blazers. He said that the team started moving in the right direction today, finally ending their losing streak by taking the initiative early on and keeping the game out of overtime.

Senior captain Sarah Rumbaugh, who, due to injuries, has been contributing as assistant coach in recent games, put the win in a broader perspective. "Our record (3-4-1) doesn't reflect our ability, because it doesn't show how close our losses were and how much we blew out the team's that we beat," she said.

"I consider this game a transition for us, because for the first time, we won a close game." Gibb added, "Even though we do not always get the results we want, we have been in the game with every team we've faced, and in most cases, we deserved better then what we got."

Gibb has a positive outlook for Blair's upcoming matches against Wheaton and Einstein. He believes that the Blazers will be capable of doing damage in the playoffs, which are inching closer as the season wraps up. "[Blair is] a team that never quits, that stays in every game," he says. "And if offense gets things clicking, we're a team that could make some noise, and I have no problem with that."

Blair's next game is on Monday at Wheaton at 3:30 p.m.