(From the Stanstead College yearbook)
Senior Girls
This year was incredibly important, as it was for some our last season of soccer at Stanstead College. We started off with 19 girls including a goaltender. We had just lost our coach Mr. Van Dyke, which made us iffy about what was going to happen... Thankfully our new coach Mr. Quinn led us to be greater soccer players. His passion for the sport drove us to work harder, to play as a family and to support each other like sisters. Without forgetting Ms. Langlois's funny comments and unique sense of humour that could make everyone laugh before a game. At some point in the season, we were all packed and ready to leave for Bermuda, BUT Hurricane Nicole got there before us, so CATS did not happen this year. Although Bermuda was off the list, we had the opportunity to win against Galt, our rivals who we deeply wanted to prove wrong. We fought together and pushed hard, at the end we learned that it was not about a winning game, but all the fun and memories that we had accumulated as a team.
Furthermore, this is a shout-out to each girl on the team who I had the honour of playing with. You are all special and amazing! My last season was memorable and I cannot be more grateful for the everyone who made it so perfect.
Junior Girls
The junior girls played their hearts out this year. I honestly can't remember a team that tried so hard all the time. We played in a league this year where most teams were really close in terms of talent and ability and skill. Many of our games ended in a tie or lost by only one goal. There was one team that was better than everyone and we all knew it. They, of course, beat everyone and won the league and championship pretty easily, but that is not what really matters here. There is always a team somewhere that is better than yours. What really matters is that we had a starting point and an end point and in between we built something together where we all worked hard and tried our hardest and made our team way better than when we started. We improved to the point that we almost beat the #2 and #3 teams that finished ahead of us in the league standings and we had a real chance of upsetting the #1 team in the semi-final. That is pretty amazing. There is a lesson there about teamwork and playing together and for each other. Also, there is a real life lesson about taking on a daunting task, a seemingly insurmountable task, and not shrugging your shoulders and thinking it can't be done. There was no way we should have even been close in that semi-final and yet, there we were with a real chance to win and Massey was freaking out at the half because they knew we might win. You have to try and you have to try hard and you have to come up with a strategy. You each had your moments where I had to teach you individually something about your specific position, but when all this was added together, it came out to the sum being greater than the parts. Greater together. Remember that. I will. Thanks to our award winners who set a tremendous example of never giving up: Beth, Alyssa and Alex. Thanks also to assistant coach Natalia.
Bantam Girls
We were a small but dedicated group of 11 girls this year, and each player had the other's back. The majority of our games were played with 9 and sometimes even 8 due to illness and injury. And, yes, the majority of the time we faced off against 11 with 3 or 5 or even 7 subs on the bench. Our girls just sighed and kept running.
Defence
Tammy Wood Downey, Sophia Farfan, Lou Kian Botton, Jessika Danyluk and Sofie Beauregard. While a lot of shots got by, you girls NEVER gave up. The best game of the season may well have been at Richmond. We lost, but you girls were fierce and tireless. And, we scored our first goal in that game!
Midfield
Loraly Grenier, Julia Ballinger and Dominique Hudon. Tireless. You girls covered more ground over the course of the season than all of the soccer players in the MLS combined. And at that game in Richmond, Julia scored our first goal. It was as though we had won the World Cup. And Dominique and Loraly... they did not like getting pushed about, so they got tough and played hard, fast and aggressive.
Forwards
On a good day, we had two of them. Sumomo Susuta and Mariama Barry. Two of the most gentle girls on the face of the planet. Until you steal a ball from them. Then you had better watch outl
Goalie
A quiet girl who developed into a force to be reckoned with. She faced something like a million shots. And yes, a lot went in. But a whole lot more did not. Jeniva Coffee was a rock-solid part of this team and we thank her for all of her incredible work.
All in all, it was a tough season, but we all have things to remember that will always bring a smile to our faces. Well done girls; you should be proud of all your hard work.
(From the Stanstead College website, October 4th)
Athlete of the week: Maya Goudreau
For two weeks in a row this local Stanstead girl has been nominated by her coach for Athlete of the Week. She has merited that title this week. Maya started playing soccer right here in Stanstead in the summer program and has since played two years for Stanstead College. She seems to be having a breakthrough year. In the last few games, Maya has shred defences by sheer determination and work ethic to get to the ball and shoot on net. Many of these shots have ended up in the net, having scored 5 goals and recorded 2 assists in the last 3 games alone. The Grade 10 student is fierce and determined and won’t be denied. One of the assists came off a corner where she headed the ball to a teammate who then headed it herself into the net, in the process assisting on a beautiful goal and costing her coach a pizza party :). Maya has outdone herself, even playing sick and pushing through the pain. She is a true Spartan through and through.
(From the Stanstead College website, November 1st)
Athletes of the week: Mya Daigle and Kayla Ouellet
his duo has been the heart of the Senior Girls’ soccer team since day one. They are consistently there in the centre of the pack, with the entirety of the play seeming to always go through them. Their ability to win balls in tackles and then calmly relay perfect through balls to the wingers and strikers was instrumental in beating MVR in the semi-finals and almost knocking off Galt in the finals. Strong, fierce and determined, they don’t quit until the final whistle blows. All season long they demonstrated, through their words and their actions, what it truly means to be soccer players, team captains and teammates.