New Canaan's U11 Girls Red Headed to CT Cup's "Final Four"

New Canaan’s U11 Girls Red soccer team has earned a spot in the CT Cup’s Final Four, joining Ridgefield Black, Middlebury FC and Avon Blizzard.

Playing on the road Saturday against Old Greenwich Thunder Blue, the U11 Red girls were determined to secure their place in the semi-final round of this single elimination tournament.

Playing on less than ideal field conditions, New Canaan took the first few minutes of the half to assess their opponent’s style of play and respond accordingly.

It was evident early on that Old Greenwich relied heavily on goalie punts and power kicks to move the ball down the pitch. New Canaan stayed true to their trademark passing game and utilized the full field to move the ball into scoring position.

Front line teammates Dillyn Patten, Jade Lowe, Grace Crowell and Hollis Mulry effectively controlled the ball and took several quality shots on goal.

Strong goaltending denied New Canaan their first goal until Katie Perlitz placed herself directly in front of the net to slip one past the Old Greenwich keeper. New Canaan did not let up the offensive pressure with Kiki Brainard and Hadley Beiles hustling around the midfield to distribute the ball with precision control.

The defensive squad, anchored by Kaleigh Harden and Emma Lamaker in the center and Caitlin Tully and Avery Minter on the sides, played tough and were successful in keeping the ball out of the middle.

New Canaan goaltender Ashley Barton, who played the entire 70 minutes in the net, was solid throughout the game and held Old Greenwich to only one goal – a powerful direct kick that soared high in the goal just past her fingertips.

Tied 1-1 at the half, the tension could be felt on the field and on the sidelines. The urgency to break the tie was palpable as New Canaan opened the second half with their signature determination, grit and maturity.

Quickly resuming their attack mode, the offensive combination of Patten, Brainard and Lowe were relentless in their march to the goal. After many attempts to score were thwarted by impressive goaltending, Patten finally got her goal off a textbook assist by Brainard.

A final insurance goal would be added by Brainard who drilled the ball in to the net after the keeper batted the ball away. To help assure the 3-1 win New Canaan defenders Madeleine McLaughlin and Angelica Megdanis kept Old Greenwich at bay while the clock ran out.

Always keeping their poise on the field and putting faith in their speed and ability to pass the ball, the U11 Red girls have put on a stunning display of teamwork throughout this tournament.

As the only team from New Canaan left in the CT Cup, they will proudly represent their hometown next Saturday, October 25, against Ridgefield Black in the semi-final game. For the third time this fall, they will face Wilton Blue on Sunday, October 26, in a regular season game.

Pictured above: New Canaan’s U11 Girls Red: Back Row: Ashley Barton, Coach Gwyn Jones, Hadley Beiles, Madeleine McLaughlin, Dillyn Patten, Grace Crowell, Jade Lowe, Kaleigh Harden; Front Row: Angelica Megdanis, Hollis Mulry, Kiki Brainard, Emma Lamaker, Katie Perlitz, Avery Minter, Caitlin Tully