Emily's high school soccer career came to an abrupt end with a 1-0 loss to New Canaan in the second round of the state tournament, early in November. I'm pretty sure that someday, she will look back on these four years and realize how incredibly lucky she was. She was blessed to have played on four amazing teams and Lee and I are privileged to have been spectators on this journey with her. Over the last four years, NWC played 74 soccer games and Emily played in every one of them, starting all but 3 and playing the full 80+ in 68 of them, including a stretch of 2 1/2 years during which she never came off the field. NWC won the conference championship in PKs when she was a freshman in a COVID-shortened season; she scored the game winning goal in a come from behind win that sent her team to the state tournament when she was a sophomore; played in two state championship games; and finished the regular season this year on a team that won the CCC West, was ranked #2 in Class L and finished as runners up in the CCC Championship game. It was an unbelievable run, especially this year when we thought that they might not win more than a couple of games.
For the last 12 months, Emily has been particularly blessed to be supported by coaches and trainers that truly believe in her - demanding and tough, as well as supportive and caring. She finished this season with two goals and eight assists while playing holding mid; led the team in tackles, and was a play maker with her long throw ins, lethal set pieces and excellent vision. She gave everything she had on the field and to this team and while that one big win always remained just out of reach, she can never look back and wonder if she could have done more. Cheers to the last four years.
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