In an exciting championship rematch against Montrose yesterday at Orr Field, the Varsity Girls’ Soccer team won 3:1, earning back the 2016 Independent Girls Conference, which the squad last held in 2001.

The atmosphere was electric, as both teams played an aggressive 40-minutes. At halftime, the game was knotted up 1:1. The Gators pulled away in the second half, maintaining a strong defense while scoring two goals to take a 3:1 lead.

Smith scored one goal, with two more followed by Breiman. “Kimberly Santos ’17 shot the ball from the 18-yard box, which got deflected from one of the opposing players,” says Smith. “I got the rebound and shot in passed the keeper. The whole experience was really exciting, especially after having lost the championship last year against Montrose.”

For her part, Breiman said the team came out with “fierce determination,” unwilling to let Montrose snatch another title from the team.

“Typically, the team does not do well when we are nervous, and that definitely happened in our first game against Montrose,” said Co-Captain Alexis Ifill ’17. “However, we had a lot of faith in ourselves and we worked together as a unit. The captains worked really hard to bring everyone together. We also had a lot of new talent, which definitely boosted us in the playoffs.”

Co-Captain Enna Spivak ’17 echoed Ifill’s sentiments, saying the squad came into the game with a positive attitude. “We were humble and ready to put in a lot of effort,” she says. “All of our hard work paid off in the win. Coach Purcell coached a good game and we executed the game plan.”

The Gator congratulates the team on its hard-earned success.