Blair girls’ soccer crush Wheaton with a mercy win

On Sept. 15, Blair’s varsity girls’ soccer team (3-0) beat Wheaton (0-3) in an 8-0 shutout, ending eight minutes and 58 seconds early because of the score difference. The Blazers played a slow first half, ending with a 1-0 lead, then picked up seven goals over the course of the 30-minute second half. Three players–juniors Rayna Bernstein and Stella Heath, and sophomore Rowyn Harvey–scored two goals each. Senior Mady Martins and freshman Allie Stiff picked up the other two goals. Stiff’s goal was her first for the varsity team in her first season at Blair. 

The Blazers opened the game on the offensive, dominating possession and taking shots, though with no goals to show for it. Wheaton managed an early shot on goal off a corner kick, but it was saved by Blair goalie Emma Weeda.

With 23 minutes remaining in the first half, Bernstein scored, giving Blair a one-goal lead. Throughout the half, the Blazers maintained pressure on the Knights, but struggled to get the ball into the net. The first half ended with a score of 1-0 in Blair’s favor. 

Bernstein attributed the team’s slow start to a desire to score as a team. “Starting out, we were a little slow. We weren't really going for goals as much because we were trying to score team goals and have good teamwork and plays, including everybody, but I think that kind of started us off on a slower note,” she said. 

The second half was a different story. In the first ten minutes, the Blazers scored twice, once by Martins and once by Stiff. On the other end of the ball, the Blazers’ defense was strong, and Wheaton struggled to do anything on offense.

With around 25 minutes left, Bernstein scored again with an impressive assist from senior Elena Kleiner. Seven minutes later, Harvey scored off a corner kick. After that, Heath scored, then Harvey again with an assist from senior Anaïs Ejiogu. Heath scored again with eight minutes and 58 seconds left on the clock, bringing the score to 8-0 and ending the game early by a mercy rule. 

Heath explained that the Blazers turned around the second half by shifting their energy during halftime. “At the end, we really got into a groove and we were playing really well. We started reading their passes more, and we were doing a lot better defensively.”

Bernstein explained that the team wants to use early-season games to prepare for difficult matches at the end of their season. “We're looking to, as our coach said, get the most out of each game. We're working on our strategies, on our corner kick plans, our goal pick plans, our free kick plans, any chance we can get. We’re working on those strategies so by the time we reach tough competitors, we'll have all those set pieces already planned out and ready,” she stated.

Looking ahead to next week, the Blazers are set to play against Richard Montgomery in what coach Robert Gibb thinks will be a game worth attending. “We have a big game against Richard Montgomery next Tuesday, and maybe likely be for the division championship, or the two best teams. We beat them pretty handily last year, but we were the only team that really beat them handily.”