In a public vs private school showdown at Stony Brook University’s Indoor Complex, Ward Melville’s varsity team faced off against the Sacred Heart Spartans.
The game started off with a bang as Ward Melville’s Emilia Retzlaff and Kate Spinks, the seniors heading to Navy and Brown respectively, looked to initiate an aggressive offense, only to be countered by Sacred Heart’s goalkeeper, Grace Didora, who made big saves in the early stages. However, Ward Melville’s Grace Balocca who’s heading to Villanova managed to score the first goal, giving her team an early lead.
Sacred Heart responded quickly, with USC bound Kaylee Fravert tying the game. The teams continued to exchange goals, with Sacred Heart eventually taking a lead thanks to a goal by Richmond commit Elizabeth Darcy. But Ward Melville was not far behind, with the sophomore Claudia Retzlaff and Grace Balocca consistently finding the back of the net, tying the game at various points.
As the first half progressed, both teams continued to pick up the pace. Ohio State bound Charlotte Brown’s solo effort gave the Spartans their largest lead of the game at that point. Ward Melville, however, displayed resilience as MJ Timpanero the URI commit and Kate Spinks scored important goals, bringing the game to a tie once again.
In the second half, Sacred Heart initially maintained their lead, with Charlotte Brown scoring again. However, Ward Melville, undeterred, responded with Emilia Retzlaff and Grace Balocca scoring consecutive goals, taking the lead. Sacred Heart’s Sienna Prisco the Marist bound senior, and Kaylee Fravert tried to turn the tide, but Ward Melville’s defense, between Penn commits Olivia Comerford and Peyton Phillips and VCU commit Ava Carrillo in the net kept the Spartans at bay.
As the game neared its conclusion, Ward Melville’s consistent pressure paid off. Grace Balocca’s remarkable performance, along with key contributions from Claudia Retzlaff and MJ Timpanero, extended their lead. Despite Sacred Heart’s attempts to close the gap, Ward Melville managed to maintain their lead, ultimately winning the game with a comfortable margin as they pulled away in the final four minutes.
The final score of 16-9 in favor of Ward Melville might not fully reflect the competitive nature of the game, which saw both teams exhibit high level skill.
Looking ahead to week 2, Ward Melville puts their 1-0 record to the test when they face the Wildcats from Shoreham Wading River at 7:45 am. For Sacred Heart they go head-to-head against Comsewogue at 2:30pm.
