Groton vs. SPS

After back-to-back wins in preseason scrimmages over Proctor (8-1) and Pomfret (5-2), Groton’s varsity soccer team opened its 2022 season with a hard-fought tie against St. Paul’s School on Saturday, September 17th.  Playing in front of a loud and energetic fan base for SPS, both teams enjoyed a positive and open first half, with chances at both ends of the pitch.  While SPS hit the post and enjoyed several marauding runs from the flanks, Groton managed the first half well, which ended at 0-0.  The second half started at a similarly high tempo, with SPS pushing hard for the lead and Groton defending in numbers and looking to break quickly.  SPS’s pressure finally told, and they took the lead on an exquisitely placed free kick midway through the second half.  Rather than hanging their heads, Groton pushed aggressively for an equalizer, hitting the post through Sixth Former Henry Burnham and forcing SPS’s keeper into several key saves.  As the game moved into the final 10 minutes, a loose ball near SPS’s box fell to Sixth Former Jack Travis, who unleashed a hard shot through traffic that found the corner of the net despite a great diving attempt from SPS’s keeper.  The final few minutes saw both teams going for the win, with some fantastic defending from Sixth Formers Will Vrattos and Jay Adinkrah (who prevented two certain breakaways from SPS’s attackers) and players on both teams giving their all.  The game ended as an exhilarating 1-1 draw, giving Groton a solid foundation on which to build for the season.       
 
Next up: a (hopefully) sunny trip to St. George’s in RI this coming Saturday! 
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