On Sunday November 7th, the Girls Varsity Soccer team (GVS) won their first ever New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) championship against Packer Collegiate Institute!
This season was full of both hardships and triumphs for the team. According to co-captain Sophia Hoeler (VI), it took a lot of hard work to get this final result, “I always knew that our team was good and that there was a lot of individual talent, but working together as a team on the field took a while to click. We started off with a tough loss to Poly Prep (4-0), followed by a tie to Dalton (2-2), then we beat Riverdale (4-1). Starting off like this didn’t really tell us where we stood as a team, but as the season went on, we stayed eager to win and got in our groove. The blood, sweat and tears (literally) that each person on this team put into every practice and game since preseason has been overwhelmingly incredible. Our hard work on the field stayed consistent as we improved and our relationships and bond as a team also improved dramatically. The love and happiness that radiates from GVS is unmatched and, in my opinion, what pulled us through. Every single girl on our team brought something new and exciting to practice every day and made GVS a little family.”
Player Cassidy Cribbs (V) also noted the devotion of the team, “The team has never stopped working this season from preseason to the very last game. The dedication and perseverance that each player contributed to the team helped us to get where we are today.”
GVS Coach Brandon Turner shared this enthusiasm and love for the team, “In the beginning of the season we went into games with a lot of nerves and anxiousness, until we looked to reappraise the anxiousness into excitement and that allowed us to play with passion.
Winning the NYSAIS didn’t magically happen, since day one the team had one goal and one mission this season, and that was to make history for Fieldston Girls Soccer and bring home a championship. We worked on developing a high performance mindset and the belief in ourselves that we can do it!”
After two years without Fieldston soccer games and a new coach, the season was not easy, however, “the team had an incredible season that is accredited to their full commitment, dedication, togetherness and willingness to trust and learn from not only a new coach but also each other. Everyday they brought tremendous energy on and off the field and were resilient throughout the tough times of the season. The team fully bought into the idea of playing for a higher purpose and playing for something bigger than themselves. Every player in the program when called upon showed up and made an impact in big games/moments and never gave up on striving toward their goals,” Coach Turner added.
The NYSAIS championship game was played at Manhattanville College, but that did not stop fans from showing up and bringing the nest with them. “Playing in front of your friends, teachers and family makes me personally want to win even more because you have a whole crowd of people supporting you and it is an incredible feeling. GVS was a little underrated throughout the whole season and a lot of the fan attention and enthusiasm went towards BVS and football, but to see all of our fans supporting us on Sunday meant so much,” Hoeler said.
Cribbs was also excited to see a crowd of support, “It was amazing to see so many fans cheer us on and have all of our hard work rewarded.”
Hoeler was overflowing with pride for the team’s performance, “Although the nerves were high, I think every player–on and off the field–rose to the occasion and played their hearts out. On the bus to the game, everyone was seriously feeling the nerves but I think it was all channeled into energy which definitely showed on the field. While the whole team KILLED IT on Sunday, some players that stood out to me in particular were Ariana Rigos (freshman), Sylvie Poisson (freshman) who mainly defending #7 on Packer who is a senior soccer commit, Ryan McKenzie (junior) and of course Natalie Delson (sophomore) who scored our goal! I also think each captain (Isa Audi, Sara Kunofsky and Eve Shulman) had amazing performances on Sunday and acted as the glue to our team. Getting to the state chip game after a long season of ups and downs proved to us that we were 100% able to win and we did just that. I’m so beyond proud of each and every member of GVS for Sunday in particular but also for the season as a whole.”
Coach Turner saw the passion and energy from the sidelines, “The team played fantastic in the final game from minute 1-80. They played with their heart and souls and gave their blood, sweat and tears! They played their game and kept their composure despite a very tough and aggressive opponent on the biggest stage of their soccer journeys. The game winning goal was created by a phenomenal team build up and an inspired finish by Natalie Delson who picked out an upper 90 shot to score the game-winning goal. It was a full team effort from the goalkeeper, defense and attackers all doing what it took to close out a 1-0 victory!”
The sense of celebration after the game was felt throughout the entire school. On Monday November 8th, players wore their jerseys to class with pride. As a senior, Hoeler felt particularly delighted, and reflected on her entire soccer career, “Winning NYSAIS as a senior has made me as a little 10-year-old playing little league soccer so proud. Also coming off a hard year of COVID and no soccer season, there was no better way to end. As special as it was for me, I think it also showed the juniors and underclassmen that winning NYSAIS is a realistic goal that can be accomplished and I hope that motivates them to lead GVS to another championship next year and for many more years to come.”
Finally, Coach Turner looked back at the season and strength of the team, “The team has never stopped working this season from preseason to the very last game. The dedication and perseverance that each player contributed to the team helped us to get where we are today.”
