The Falcons had an exciting week of contests. Several teams hosted games during the IMS Centennial Celebration, even playing on our brand new turf field for the first time. Here is the latest, Falcon Report from Adam Marcia
Varsity Girls Soccer hosted Hotchkiss JV on Centennial Field on Friday. Despite feeling the pressure of playing the first game on the brand new turf, the midfield and defense held strong throughout. Emma and Jocy set up a dynamic attack on the offensive side with Frances finding the back of the net on a rebound to put the Falcons up 1-0 at the half. Hotchkiss fought back during the second half and tied the game up. While there were numerous close calls on both sides, the game ultimately ended in a tie 1-1.
In goal Katherine made a number of key saves under pressure. One in particular stood out with 3 minutes left in the game that was perfectly placed underneath the crossbar. Katherine was able to get a fingertip on it to allow the ball to bounce off the crossbar, thus ultimately preserving the unbeaten streak.
Coach Halloran said of the team: “While we don’t talk about it much anymore, the Girls Varsity Soccer unbeaten streak remains alive and relevant and is something the team thinks and worries about often. While there is a lot of pressure that goes with this streak, namely that the expectation is always to win, a game like this against Hotchkiss proves the level of resilience this team has under considerable pressure. No matter where the season goes from here, this team has helped extend the unbeaten streak to 59 games, which is pretty remarkable.” Wish Girls Varsity Soccer good luck as they travel to Berkshire tomorrow to play their JV team.
JV Girls Soccer lent a hand to the varsity team at their game on Wednesday vs. Millbrook’s JV team. These players included August, Sadie, Gibby, Ryan, Marygrace, and Claire. From these JV players, goals and assists came from August and Gibby, while the others contributed with some crucial passing and strong defense. The Falcon’s went into the half with a substantial lead. By maintaining possession throughout the second half, IMS came out with a 6-0 victory. JV Girls Soccer will be training hard this upcoming week to prepare for their remaining matches vs. Berkshire Waldorf, Washington Montessori, and Region 1.
Boys Varsity Soccer played two big matches recently. The first match was this past Thursday versus school rival Rumsey Hall. Historically, Rumsey has always been a challenging team. This particular game, Rumsey went up 0-1 within the first ten minutes. The offensive powerhouse of Diego (2 goals), Arturo (2 goals), Abdul (1 goal), and Marcus (1 goal), IMS brought home a triumphant victory. They responded to Rumsey’s aggressive and tactful playstyle with a steady defense. Wally made a clutch save in goal on a penalty kick to preserve the IMS lead. This save gave the Falcons confidence to secure a 6-4 win over their historic rival.
On Saturday, IMS played soccer academy Pathfinder FC on the home turf. The opposing team came into the first half with aggression. IMS responded with more energy in the second half, winning nearly every 50-50 ball. Abdul had a free kick and scored a goal. Diego also scored off an assist from Marcus. Will, Leo, Wynn, and Ross had strong communication in the midfield. The defense held their own against the skilled opposition. IMS did fall short 2-3 at the end, but fought hard throughout. One of the players commented after the game, “Even though we lost, everyone played really well and showed a passion for IMS on the field”. Wish Varsity Boys Soccer luck as they go on to play Berkshire 3rds tomorrow.
JV Boys Soccer had a match vs. Berkshire Waldorf this past Friday for the school’s Centennial Celebration. The game was neck and neck, as neither team was able to establish a comfortable lead. Down 2-3 and approaching the final whistle, Jesse dribbled through three defenders and slotted one home past the opposing keeper, making a tied game. The final score resulted in a 3-3 tie. IMS sought to secure a victory for their next match after the long weekend.
Yesterday, JV boys soccer played away @ Rumsey Hall, a formidable opponent. IMS went up 2-1 at the half. Rob scored twice, the first with his head, and the second after weaving in and out of defenders. Kai also had two goals on the day, striking from close range on each of them. Midfield displayed strong communication. The defense held Rumsey to only one goal. Wes played the entire game in net, saving a flurry of shots from inside the six. The final result was a 5-1 win over Rumsey. Wish JV boys soccer luck as they play Trinity Pawling at home tomorrow and away at the Berkshire Country Day tournament on Saturday.
5th and 6th Soccer went into the week on a positive note after their victory against Rumsey Hall the Wednesday prior. The team has been training hard and working on their foot skills in preparation for their big match @ Pathfinder FC tomorrow. Come out to support 5/6 soccer at Pathfinder at 4:15pm.
Cross Country had a race this past Friday vs. Region 1 for the Centennial Celebration. The IMS course is especially challenging for runners because it is more hilly than other courses. With this home-course advantage, The Falcons came out with the lower school and therefore the victory. IMS won 22-37. Congratulations to Jasper for finishing his first race of the season. Miki had the leading time of 16:06 on the 2.4 mile long course. This was a solid team win for IMS during the school centennial celebration, and the cross country team looks forward to their meet next week at home.
Mountain Biking had a race at Berkshire yesterday. It was a more challenging course, the Falcon’s rode with limited numbers, and the cold wind was blowing especially hard that day. Thatcher, Cyrus, Pearse, Ptolemy, Greta, and Dax all overcame these challenges and rode with determination. Despite losing his chain twice, Pearse finished the course strong. Greta placed 3rd for the female division. The team had fun and represented IMS proudly. Come support the Mountain biking team at their next race against Kent, South Kent, Hotchkiss, and Berkshire next Wednesday here at home.
Varsity Volleyball played a match versus Berkshire School for the Centennial Celebration this past Friday. This match against experienced high school players was challenging. IMS fought hard to the last set. The final two sets in particular had only a 2 point differential. The Falcons fell short in this contest, but the team looks forward to their match @ Hotchkiss tomorrow to face their 3rds team. Come out to support Varsity Volleyball at 4:00pm.
JV Volleyball has been training these past few weeks in preparation for their upcoming matches. At practice, they’ve been working to create muscle memory for volleyball fundamentals (the bump, set, and spike) and establishing strong communication. JV Volleyball looks forward to their match next Friday versus Rumsey Hall, @ Rumsey Hall.
Go Falcons!