Blue Devils junior defender Abbie Rorke (foreground) removes a Baldwin School player from the vicinity of the ball. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

The girls’ soccer team at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, the 2017 Pa. Independent Schools champion and Inter-Ac League runner-up, was still looking for its first league victory of 2018 heading into last Friday’s match against visiting Baldwin School.

Each team was missing its regular senior starter in goal. Baldwin’s Simi Bleznak was replaced by her sophomore sister, Rani. SCH 10th-grader Julia Wilbekaitis is used to splitting time with senior Sena Houessou-Adin, who starts games and then hands over the job to Wilbekaitis for the second half. With Houessou-Adin working through concussion protocol after taking a knock in the previous Friday’s game with Germantown Academy, her sophomore comrade would now be playing the entire game.

The Blue Devils had to make another switch farther up the field due to a diagnosis of mononucleosis for the regular starting center back, sophomore Lizzie Stokes. Third-year SCH head coach Maria Kosmin moved junior veteran Maddie Niebish back into this spot, at some cost to the SCH offense. Niebish is a productive scorer, one who shot the winning goal for the Blue Devils in last year’s Indy Schools finals.

It all worked out for Springside Chestnut Hill, though, as Niebish helped Wilbekaitis record a shutout, and sophomore JoJo McShane and junior Meghan McNesby provided the firepower up front for a 2-0 victory.

SCH had tied Penn Charter in its league opener and had then given up a late goal to GA for a 1-2 setback. The outcome last Friday leveled the Devils out at 1-1-1 in the Inter-Ac, and they were 4-1-1 overall.

Baldwin (1-1 Inter-Ac) arrived in Chestnut Hill with an advantage in experience. Even with the elder Bleznak sidelined, the Bears started six seniors, three of whom have committed to Division I colleges. Gia Vicari will play for Georgetown, Natalie Sgro is headed to the College of Charleston and Dartmouth is getting Relly Ladner. When playing for Westtown School in the 2016 season, Ladner scored the goal that downed the SCH Blue Devils in the PAIS championship game.

Springside Chestnut Hill mounted a number of offensive threats in the first 30 minutes last Friday, and there were also a number of opportunities for Baldwin, which is coached by former Germantown Friends mentor Adrian Cox. Cox lost an asset about 15 minutes into the game, when senior Juliet Paiva went down with an injury and had to be transported off the pitch in a golf cart.

The goal that proved to be the game winner went up on the scoreboard with 8:06 remaining in the first half. A long free kick by Niebish from the defensive half set up the play, sending the ball ahead for McShane making a run through the box toward the right post. Baldwin’s Bleznak came out of the cage a few yards to try and prevent a shot, but as MccShane dribbled in, made contact with the keeper, and began to fall down, she still was able to prod the ball into the cage.

When heading a soccer ball, most players close their eyes at the moment of impact, but here SCH junior Maddie Niebish remains focused throughout the play. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

With her high soccer IQ, Niebish delivered a rock solid performance in the back for SCH all afternoon, despite being used to operating largely in the offensive half.

“Maddie’s normally very dangerous on the attack, but today we had to have her play defense,” Coach Kosmin said. “She didn’t complain about it for a second, she just went back there a took charge and made me 100 percent confident. She shuts a lot of people down and she starts the attack.”

Junior Abbie Rorke was another steady presence on defense, and speedy sophomore Esther Lamb was able to track down the Bears’ fastest attackers. Late in the game Lamb tweaked a knee and retired to the bench for the duration, but the Blue Devils were able to preserve their shutout.

SCH almost chalked up an insurance goal early in the second period, as an outside shot by Bella Torres clanged off the upper right corner of the goal frame. She is one of four eighth-graders on the Blue Devils’ varsity roster, and although Abby Fitzmaurice was out with an injury on Friday, fellow middle-schoolers Torres, Lisa “Louie” McIntyre and Mary Trudeau were on the field and making an impact.

“Mary doesn’t look like an eighth-grader, more like a 17-year old out in the midfield,” Kosmin commented. “She very quietly wins every ball and is extremely consistent. Bella and Louie are very technical, and the more the season goes on the more effective they’re going to be. Size is a factor, but as long as we play the ball to their feet, they can be dangerous.”

Baldwin made a threatening charge a little over 10 minutes into the second period, and SCH keeper Wilbekaitis dashed far out of the cage to narrowly win a race to the ball in the right side of the box. A little later, the Devils’ goalie stopped a shot by Vicari at the upper left corner, and Baldwin sent the ball over the crossbar on a follow-up attempt.

The Bears’ attack was weakened when Vicari was injured with a bit over 24 minutes remaining in the game. Soon after that, SCH freshman Lauren Sullivan served the ball inside from out near the left corner, and McShane came very close to netting a second goal on the day.

Another young forward, freshman Maya McDermott, caused the visiting defense some concerns. In the middle of the period she dribbled up along the left wing and delivered the ball to the front of the cage, but a finishing touch by a colleague did not go in.

There was also consistent play from veteran athletes like senior Mo’ne Davis, better known for her prowess in basketball and, of course, baseball. She is more of a role player in soccer, and she knows exactly what that role is. Like she was making an entry pass to a teammate in the paint on a basketball court, Davis comes up the wing and directs some very well-timed and precise passes into the penalty area.

With around 18 minutes remaining Niebish was shaken up on a play but ultimately was able to resume playing. SCH finally added an insurance goal with 15:09 remaining in the game. On the right flank, McIntyre dribbled past a pair of Bears and booted the ball diagonally across the box toward the left goal post. Junior Meghan McNesby was making her approach from the weak side and finished the play from close range, putting the 2-0 final up in lights.

The Blue Devils’ Wilbekaitis would make four saves for her shutout, while Bleznak made eight stops in front of the Bears’ cage.

UPDATE: The following day, SCH turned away visiting Hill School, 4-1. McIntyre scored twice and there were single strikes for McShane and Niebish.