New Canaan U11 Girls Red Soccer Defeats Fairfield's Riptide, 1-0

By Amy Lamaker

Publicity Coordinator, U11 Girls Red

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the New Canaan U11 Girls Red soccer team won a hard fought battle on the road defeating Fairfield’s Riptide 1-0. This game would prove to be a testament of wills with both teams arriving focused and ready to play.

Both sides of the pitch saw action during the first half, with New Canaan showing excellent teamwork by passing well and moving the ball into their opponent’s third of the field.

New Canaan’s Avery Minter and Grace Crowell used their speed to push past the defensive line but the Fairfield keeper denied any scoring opportunities. The half saw consistent back and forth action until the deadlock was finally broken with minutes left before the referee blew the halftime whistle.

New Canaan’s Hadley Beiles used her excellent ball control to set up Caitlin Tully for the lone goal of the game – a shot that the Fairfield goalie had her hands on but lost control of amongst a sea of cleats.

A quality New Canaan defense led by Katie Perlitz, Kaleigh Harden, and Madeleine McLaughlin, fought off Fairfield’s solid offense throughout the first half, protecting keeper Dillyn Patten who made several impressive saves.

The defensive squad was also happy to welcome back teammate Ashley Barton who, after suffering a knee injury before the start of the season, showed true grit in her impressive return to the field.

Starting the second half hungry for the equalizing goal, Fairfield displayed aggressive teamwork right out of the gate. They repeatedly pressured New Canaan defenders, and found their way to net on several occasions.

However, Katie Perlitz, another in New Canaan’s arsenal of formidable goalies, was a force to be reckoned with by saving shot after shot for the shutout.

As the game progressed and both teams battled for control of the ball, tension on the sidelines increased with each passing minute.

With Fairfield’s urgency to score and the pressure increasing on the New Canaan defensive line, teammates Kaleigh Harden, Emma Lamaker, and Hollis Mulry tirelessly pushed back the ball to give our offense a chance to work.

Having paid her dues in the net, forward Dillyn Patten was explosive on offense with several shots on goal. Rounding out the offensive line, Grace Crowell and Hadley Beiles continued the relentless attack on Fairfield’s goal. Unfortunately, the barrage of quality shots on goal did not result in furthering New Canaan’s tally.

A nail-biter to the very end, New Canaan defeated the Fairfield Riptide 1-0. Next Saturday, September 20, begins the team’s quest for the Connecticut Cup, squaring off against Wilton Blue at home in first round action. Then it’s back up to Fairfield on Sunday to play the FUSA Storm.