Girls offense stalls against Whitinsville Christian in 1-1 tie

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Vineyard forward Olivia Smith pokes the ball past the onrushing Whitinsville Christian goalkeeper for the first goal of the game. — Photo by Michael Cummo

The Martha’s Vineyard girls varsity soccer team came away with only a point after drawing with Whitinsville Christian at home 1-1. Olivia Smith put the Vineyarders ahead just after halftime, but Whitinsville tied it 10 minutes later.

The game’s first half was unremarkable, with each team doing just enough to keep the opposition out of the goal. Martha’s Vineyard came out of halftime strong, with determination and poise. Three minutes into the second half, the Vineyarders broke on a counter, and Emily DeBettencourt gave a lead pass to Olivia Smith, who curled a quick shot past the onrushing Whitinsville Christian goalkeeper. The ball trickled into the back of the net after the quick tap, and Olivia Smith smiled from the ground, after being knocked there during the goal.

Minutes later the Vineyard defense had a momentary lapse. The defense let in a near-post shot that might have been prevented with a quick defensive rotation. But the girls quickly recovered, and played well the rest of the game.

For most of open play, Whitinsville Christian controlled possession. The Vineyarders did a good job at breaking with pace when it was turned over, but overall they failed to mount any coordinated attacks. The defense was solid, though, shutting down most of the opposing offense and limiting the number of shots on target.

As the clock ticked down, the Martha’s Vineyard girls seemed to run out of steam, and for the final five minutes they were fighting to keep the draw. The girls’ next chance at a victory is on Thursday, Sept. 25, when the Vineyarders travel to Coyle and Cassidy High School, located in Taunton, for a 4 pm game.