EG Girls U10 Indoor Soccer's Trifecta

Is it a Hat Trick or a Trifecta? Whatever you call it, the East Greenwich Girls U10 Indoor Soccer team swept all the divisions of indoor soccer this year. They won the C, B and the open-division championships Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo. Put 'em together and what have you got? An East Greenwich soccer Cinderella story.

What these girls lacked in ranking going into this indoor soccer season, they made up for in heart. Mike Zarrella and Mark Fay’s U10 girls were ranked low in the C division when they began the winter soccer season at Teamworks in the fall. They took the C division, coming in first place, with an undefeated record.  They moved up to the B division for the second winter season. They were invited to play in the open division as well. Despite the fact that they lost every game during the open-division season, the coaches and parents credit the experience for building the team’s skills and heart. 

Two weeks ago, they entered the open division championship tournament seeded last. During the regular season they suffered crushing losses in every game against all the open division teams.

Some might be discouraged, but not this team. In the first game of the championship, EG held the number one seeded team to a 0 to 0 tie in regulation play forcing an overtime 3-player shootout. The teams tied 2 to 2 in the shootout with Sydny Fay and Stelly Younkin scoring. A sudden-death one-on-one shootout was next. Molly Snyder, EG’s goal tender, made an amazing save which left the win or another overtime shootout in EG’s next shooter’s right foot. The EG coaches conferred and called Catherine Zarrella from the team huddled together at the midfield. Catherine confidently walked forward and faced the much-taller goal keeper.

Parents were baffled, one saying, “I have no idea what is going on, but this is so exciting.” The referee blew his whistle and Catherine drilled a blistering shot just past the diving goalkeeper into the right corner of the goal, winning the sudden death overtime. 

The elated EG girls mobbed Catherine and Molly celebrating not only their first playoff tournament win but their first win in the open division for the whole season. The table was set, and the second seeded Warwick Firefighters were EG’s dessert in the championship game. With a final score of 2-0, EG’s break-out girls defeated the Warwick Firefighters and won the open-division championship.

Last weekend the girls went to the B division championship tournament as Open division champions. They won both games, 3-2 and 7-2 respectively. This team, made up of Sarah Cuddy, Noelle Salisbury, Callie Where, Carly Stange, Sydney Fay, Tessa Hoff, Stella Younkin, Jordan Parris, Laurel Koehler, Brigid Mason, Catherine Zarrella and the undisputed MVP, Goalie Molly Snyder, played beyond the coaches’ and proud parent’s wildest expectations.

“This is a special group of athletes,” said Coach Fay. “I knew they were capable of this level of play and this.” The team begins its outdoor spring Superliga season riding high after this unprecedented sweep of all three indoor divisions.