If you Google “Greenwich Academy Soccer,” some of the first images that appear reveal the pain of a heartbreaking overtime loss to Convent of the Sacred Heart in the FAA championship ten months ago. Not a single member of the 2014 varsity soccer team forgot the pain of that day.

In fact, on September 30th, the morning of the much-anticipated rematch between GA and Convent, current team members’ phones were flooded with texts from the six seniors, now graduated, of the 2014 team. The alumni sent photos of last year’s devastating game—snapshots of the team’s disappointment as the final whistle blew and sealed their fate. “It was a really good reminder of what we were playing for,” said co-captain Maggie Basta, Group XII.

With a desire for revenge in their hearts and younger, gutsy teammates by their side, the Gators took to the field. Co-captain Lizzie Sands, XII, said of the first half: “We were a little bit panicked. I think we were nervous to get into the game.” She attributed these nerves to the young team and the amount of fans that Convent brought. But as the game went on, more and more GA fans filtered into the stands. Lower Schoolers, Middle Schoolers, parents, teachers, friends, and the Field Hockey and Volleyball teams all arrived to support the soccer team.

In the eighth minute of the game, Basta broke any lingering nerves by scoring a goal, demonstrating her lightning speed and footwork. “I think that I and the whole team have struggled to put away opportunities; that’s just something that we’ve all been working on,” reflected Basta. The hard work paid off, and the score was 1-0.

Just four minutes later, Convent scored and tied the match. The scoreboard stayed that way for the remainder of the half, which had fans worried. The match was reminiscent of the FAA final last year, when the score was also 1-1 at halftime.

But the Gators were determined to end this game much differently from the one played in 2014. The GA fans cheered louder and the players became increasingly comfortable on the field. As Sands recalled, “In the second half we definitely tried to calm down, which is when we play better.” Indeed, the Gators looked even more in control than they did during the first half, and they successfully broke apart the Convent defense.

Corner kicks were accompanied by a chant of “chomp, chomp, chomp” from the eager and noisy crowd. With twenty minutes left in the second half, a jubilant “Olé, olé, olé” soccer anthem filled the air when Basta netted her second, game-winning goal. The final score was 2-1.

The Gators celebrated their exciting win, which proved their ability to lead the FAA league this season. The team looks forward to a potential match up once again with Convent around mid-November, but this time with the confidence that they can triumph.