Girls Soccer Ends Season Without State Championship But With Great Heart

In the end, the EGHS Girls Soccer team came up one goal short in the state championship game against La Salle. But it wasn't without a fight. 

The Avengers made it to the state finals in a tough game in frigid weather against Bay View, 1-0, in double overtime.

Then, 42 hours later, the Lady Avs were back at it, against the only team they'd lost to all season, La Salle. If EG came to the game with a good record, La Salle came to the game with a near-perfect one. In 17 games, the Rams had only one goal scored on them. 

Again, the two teams battled scoreless into double overtime. But this time, it was La Salle that came up with a goal, after a controversial call gave the Rams a free kick.

EG Coach Scott Douglas praised La Salle's performance but said he wished the win had come a different way. 

"I would have preferred to have La Salle score a goal without anything to do with the officials," he said. It was, he said, a great shot.

Douglas, who has coached the girls for the past three seasons, said this year's captains really made the difference. 

"They learned to play as a team. They had three women leading the team. Three very big reasons for why the team when from individuals to a team, because of these three," he said. 

Those captains? Marissa Light, Carolyn Cruise, and Sarah Beaulieu.

Light was back "with a vengence," Douglas said., after a knee injury sidelined her for the whole 2012 season. 

Cruise was a force even though she broke her leg five days into the season, through her determination to get back to the field. She made it back, for part of both the semi-final and final games. 

"That was extremely inspirational for all the girls," Douglas said. 

Sarah Beaulieu, he said, was a great team leader and extremely good motivator. 

Douglas noted two other players who really stood out: Giovanna Mandarini, the team's top goal scorer, and Alex Freeman, "probably our best all-around player of the season," he said.