SHREWSBURY – On an unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon at Shrewsbury High School, the No.18 Central Catholic Raiders defeated the No.15 Shrewsbury Colonials girls soccer team in the MIAA Division 1 playoffs. The 3-0 loss in the Round of 32 ended Shrewsbury’s season and championship hopes.
“I saw a lot of heart today,” said Head Coach Rebekah Landers. “The team didn’t give up; we played until the last minute. Central Catholic is a great team and they have a lot of great attacking players. Overall, there’s a lot to be proud of for this team, and I’m proud of the way they never stopped fighting.”
Central Catholic’s Macy Daigle scored six minutes into the game, and while Shrewsbury attempted to battle back – forcing four straight corner kicks at one point – Central Catholic led 1-0 at halftime.
The Colonials attempted to even the score, but Central Catholic soon pulled away. Sarah Tressler put Central Catholic ahead 2-0 with 20 minutes left to play. Tressler scored again less than three minutes later to officially put the game out of Shrewsbury’s reach. Central Catholic won 3-0.
Shrewsbury gathered at the corner of the field just after the final whistle. Many of the athletes – still processing the end to their season – were in tears and hugging their teammates. However, as Landers spoke to the team, there were also laughs and cheers.
“We talked about the legacy that our seniors left behind. They really shifted the culture of Shrewsbury girls soccer and really brought us back into a competitive program,” said Landers. “We shared memories, and I let them know that you don’t remember the losses, you remember the good times. That’s why you play high-school sports, right?”
The Colonials graduate 11 seniors (eight players and three student managers).
