Tolland Bests Rockville in Girls Soccer Match

Entering Wednesday’s game, the Rockville and Tolland girls soccer teams had allowed just five total goals in their combined six games this the season. Scoring figured to be at a premium.

And it was. 

Despite controlling play for much of the game, the Eagles put two goals on the board, and that was enough to extend their winning - and shutout - streak to three games with a 2-0 win over the Rams.

Tolland is now 3-1, while Rockville fell to 1-3.

While they have talent up front, it’s been the veteran Tolland defense that has keyed the mini-streak in the early-going.

“We’re pretty confident on defense,” Tolland coach Ken Boucher said. “The first few games we’ve been pulling people offside right and left.”

The Eagles used their size advantage to quell any Rockville scoring chances.

“The majority of our players are about half the size of the Tolland players so we got knocked off the ball pretty easily,” Rockville head coach Jennifer Brindsi said.  “We could try to play around them but once we came in close contact we were getting knocked.”

After controlling play in the Rockville zone for nearly 10 minutes, the Eagles almost allowed the Rams to break the scoreless tie 15 minutes into the first half.

Denise Bartlett broke through a line of Tolland defenders and dribbled the ball with three of her teammates up the field.  But Tolland’s Kaitlin Thibideau swooped in to kick the ball lose and deny any scoring chance.

“If we had played that a little quicker and passed instead of dribbled, we might have had a better chance,” Brindsi said.

Thibideau was all over the field for a Tolland defense that has only given up two goals this season, with both of them coming in a 90-second span in the season opener, a 2-1 loss to Hall.

But the defensive star of the game was Rams keeper Jenny Mears. The senior co-captain was aggressive in the net, charging out to meet the ball and deny Tolland of multiple scoring chances, finishing with 14 saves.

“Their goalie really holds their team together,” said Tolland’s Kristin Carr, who scored the Eagles’ second goal. “She’s their most powerful player. She keeps them going.”

Up 1-0 thanks to a Megan Lester goal in the 32^nd minute, the Eagles added their final goal when Carr took a pass from Alyssa Valenti, broke up the right side, and lofted a shot out of the range of Mears and into the upper left corner of the goal in the 58^th minute.

“I thought it was going to be too wide, but it wound up going right where I wanted it to,” said Carr, who has five goals and two assists on the year.

Lester’s goal was a header off a crossing pass from Becky Lavernoich in the right corner.  

While the Eagles created some good scoring chances through the game, Boucher felt they could have done more.

“They have an excellent goalie so we have to be a little more dangerous with our shots,” Boucher said. “We got a little to cute when we got into the box. There are times we have to be more selfish and take the shot.”

The Rams tested Tolland’s Katie Ackerly (two saves) a bit more as the second half wore on, but it wasn’t enough to make good on Mears’ performance.

“She’s been doing that for four years,” Brindsi said of her keeper. “She not only leads with her actions, but her words and energy out there. She’s a special one.”

Both teams are back in action Friday at 3:45 p.m., when Tolland hosts Bloomfield and Rockville travels to Hebron to take on RHAM.