Becoming a Team at the CAIS Senior Girls’ Soccer Tournament

The Senior Girls’ Soccer team travelled to the Country Day School Thursday, October 11 through Saturday, October 13 for the national CAIS tournament. Having only played two league games prior to the tournament, this three-day event provided the team, which comprises athletes from Grades 10-12, with a great opportunity to get to know each other better as players and as individuals.

Our first game was against Stanstead College on Thursday morning. Although the girls were still getting comfortable with their positions, they played well and managed to tie the game 2-2. Jasmine Little scored our first goal of the tournament in the first half and Natalie Boland wasn’t too far behind, scoring our second goal in the second half of the game.

In the afternoon, we played Lower Canada College, last year’s CAIS champions, and fought hard, the game ending in a 2-0 loss for Greenwood.

Friday morning, we played St. Mildred’s Lightbourn School. The girls were anxious about playing this CISAA divisional rival but worked together to keep a clean sheet. In one day, this group of individuals was already acting more in unison, which was evident in their clear communication and cleaner passes. The game ended 0-0.

By the afternoon, the team was pumped up and ready to face the Study Academy. The game finished 4-0 for Greenwood with goals from Sara Warner, Mira Lazare, Alex Day and Natalie Boland. This excellent finish qualified us for the Division II semifinals against St. Clement’s School.

Saturday morning was equal parts cold and exciting. This game was a truly excellent demonstration of teamwork and the importance of using past experiences as opportunities for growth and development. It was amazing to watch how well the girls played their positions and worked together to aggressively attack the ball and defend the goal. Rachel Keaveney put forth a Herculean effort in goal and made some epic saves. After a hard-fought 0-0 tie, the game went to overtime. St. Clements took a late lead, scoring direct from a free kick, and despite a spirited Greenwood fightback, the girls were unable to tie the game.

The team stayed to watch the consolation and final games, viewing each manoeuvre with a new sense of fascination and appreciation of their peers’ skill. Watching the final two games allowed the girls to reflect on what they’d learned and how they’d grown as athletes and teammates. It’s amazing what three days can do.

The girls are very much looking forward to attacking the rest of our season games, confident in their ability to work together on and off the field.