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From left: Despite being a bit under the weather, senior Leah Costa had a hat trick in a season-opening 4-0 win. Elise Coyle tries to get position on Stonington’s Eva Terwilliger (31). New coach Andrea Danforth talks to her team after its first win. Photos by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy.

Academy's girls’ soccer gives new coach first win
The first match of the season can bring on the butterflies. Sometimes, not only for the players.
Such was the case for Andrea Danforth who made her debut on the sidelines as the head coach of her alma mater last Tuesday against Somers.
“I was very nervous coming into (the match) but we’ve been training really hard and putting a lot of emphasis on intensity and movement off the ball, finding feet, and they executed,” Danforth said.
The Centaurs captured the opener, 4-0, over the Spartans.
“I think coach has been the best help ever and she has been pushing us. We have got so much better in the past couple of weeks and throughout the summer as we’ve been practicing,” said senior Leah Costa. “I respect her 100 percent. Whatever I get from her, I know will help me. I know I’m getting better.”
Costa knocked in a trio of goals for the Centaurs to start them off on the right path.
Costa got an early goal and Bella Mawson made it a two-goal lead before the half.
The Somers keeper made an original save off a shot by Costa but as she was reaching to grab it, the ball popped forward and on to the foot of Rawson who delivered a strike to the center of the empty net.
Costa, who admitted to being a bit under the weather, finished things off with a pair of second-half tallies.
“I had a great ball from Macy (Rawson) and I played it from the corner. Then, there was a through ball, I think it was from Bella, and I just played it over the goalie with my left foot,” Costa said.
Costa will be a force up front for the Centaurs.
Her helper up front, fellow senior Juliet Allard, was at the match but she was running the clock rather than running on the field due to an injury.
She may be on the sidelines for a little while longer.
“She brings a similar value that Leah does with her speed and intensity. We want her to take it easy. We’re being conservative because long term, we want to see her healthy. We don’t want her to rush back and do something that could impact the rest of the season. We’re taking it one game at a time,” Danforth said.
Costa and Mawson proved in the opener that there is some chemistry there and Danforth believes there are others.
Junior Jaelyn Knox made a host of runs against the Spartans while freshman Kaitlyn Teal proved her worth in a scrimmage, getting the only goal.
In the middle of the field, junior Avery Danis found the pass consistently against Somers and Rawson at defensive center-midfield added a morale boost.
In the back, Freya Robbie is a strong senior and another freshman, Lily Mioduszewski, have found each other.
“They work well together, work off each other, and we have strong outside backs. One of our biggest problems is that we make sure we get everyone in (the match) because we have a lot of strength and it’s not often that a coach can say that,” Danforth said.
Junior Ellary Sampson and sophomore Reagan Scheck are battling for starting duties but it was Scheck in goal against Somers. She delivered the shutout as Sampson was also sidelined by an injury.
Thursday vs the Stonington Bears the defense not only pitched a shutout but also contributed to the scoring.
Senior Freya Robbie got the party started in a 3-0 win over the Bears with a 35-yard blast off a free kick that found the back of the net.
Her tally came with just under eight minutes left in the first half and gave the Centaurs a slim cushion going into the half.
The one-goal lead held for the first 20 minutes before Costa broke free.
The senior took a through ball from Isabella Selmecki and scored to give the Centaurs a little insurance.
Avery Danis put the finishing touches on the day with a goal from long distance for the defensive center-mid.
The Centaurs defense did the rest, posting its second straight shutout.
This time, it was Sampson who had healed enough to deliver the shutout in the net. The defensive line includes freshman Lily Mioduszewski who has seen lots of playing time early on.
“We’re very happy but one thing we talked about at practice was to be humble. Every game is a new game whether we have played them once, twice, doesn’t matter. We have to come in, ready to go, no preconceived notions ever. Every day is a new day- show up,” Danforth said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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