Streaking Girls Varsity A Soccer Team Heads to Section 1 Playoffs

The Raiders celebrate on the field after their dramatic overtime win against Mamaroneck.The Scarsdale High School Girls Varsity A soccer team continued its recent strong play, finishing 7-0-1 in its last eight games after a thrilling 1-0 overtime win on Monday night against Mamaroneck at Mamaroneck High School. The Raiders’ regular season record is 8-6-1 after beginning the season 1-6, with all the losses coming against highly ranked, non-League opponents. Heading into the season with a surfeit of returning talent from last year, the players and coaches expected 2018 to be a special year, with the potential for a deep playoff run. With the team currently playing its best soccer of the season, there is cause for optimism.

Going into the Mamaroneck game, the Raiders knew they faced a determined opponent coming off the Raiders’ 3-0 win against the Tigers at SUNY Purchase a couple of weeks earlier. The Tigers also had a couple of returning starters who didn’t play in the first game and it was their senior night, which meant a large and vocal home team crowd. It was a hard fought, physical contest, with Scarsdale mostly having the better of play, frequently winning possession at midfield through the tireless efforts of All State senior Allison Stafford, who also supported the team’s defense which was missing a key starter. Sophomore defender Emily Yacoub anchored the back line and had a strong game, continually stepping up to take balls out of the air and thwarting the Tigers’ rushes. Senior mid-fielder Ella Ansell was very active and helped generate several rushes for Raiders’ forwards Olivia Bryant, Nayumi Parente-Ribeiro, Riley Edlitz and Jaeda Dean. Senior goalie Christina Coco did a good job coming out on balls and preventing the Tigers’ forwards from gaining possession. Kelly Rutherford prepares to take the game winning shot in overtime.The Raiders had a handful of good scoring chances, one by Bryant off a good crossing pass but the ball was saved by the Tigers’ goalie and another by Stafford whose rebound shot near the top of the box wound up in the goalie’s hands. After 80 minutes of regulation and a scoreless first overtime period, the team’s switched sides for the second overtime. About five minutes in, the Raiders were awarded a corner kick and Parente-Ribeiro spotted winger Kelly Rutherford nearby, uncovered. Instead of sending the ball airborne into the goal mouth as is typically done on a corner kick, Parente-Riberio passed the ball to Rutherford about 15 yards inside the left sideline. Rutherford took a touch to her right and then rifled a shot from 25 yards out into the top left of the Tigers’ goal beyond the reach of a diving Tigers’ goalie. It was a perfect shot that came at the perfect time, and the team mobbed Rutherford in celebration.

The Raiders have yet to learn the identity of their first round playoff opponent. The playoff draw consists of the top 16 teams in Class AA, Section 1 based on each team’s regular season record. The Raiders’ first round game will be played on the road on Sunday, October 21 against John Jay East Fishkill at 1:00 p.m. Local high school sports fans are encouraged to come out and root on the team as they pursue their first Section 1, Class AA championship since 2000.
Allison Stafford is airborne as she wins the ball from three Tigers’ defenders.