Happy Sport’s Equinox Day—here is the most recent Falcon’s Report for this week’s matches, meets, and races as IMS sports teams continue their pursuit of athletic greatness!

By Adam Marcia

Varsity Girls Soccer hosted Rumsey Hall in a battle of two unbeaten teams. The first half was closer than it seemed, but IMS bested their opponent on both sides of the field and ended the half up 4-0 with what the coaches called, “arguably, the best half of soccer this team has played over the years.” 

The next 20 minutes of the second half was a frenzy, with a total of 8 goals scored. Rumsey Hall came out firing with some aggressive play. They cut IMS’ lead down to 2, but left the Falcons with plenty of time to equalize. The Falcons responded after each goal, and out-scored the opponent 5-3 in the second half. The final score was a 9-3 win for IMS. Goals and assists came from Jocy, Emma, Frances, Julia, and Paisley. Special shoutout to Jocy for her 7 goal-game which is a school record, as well as left-footed goals from Jocy and Emma. Our midfield — led by Julia, Frances, Imogen, Neva, and Anna — controlled the ball very well under considerable pressure, and our defense — led by Paisley, Clarisse, Rose, Anna, and Katherine in net — stepped up when it mattered most. Clarisse had a great showing, playing sweeper with two of the starting backs out that game.

The team hosted Westminster 3rds on Wednesday. The Falcons won 5-2 with most of the game played by the JV squad, who played incredibly against this high school team. Goals and assists came from Emma, Anna, Imogen, Clarisse, Frances, Jocy, Alayna, and Gibby. Kudos to Sadie for a great second half in the net!

Varsity Girls soccer hosts the Junior School Girls Soccer Tournament on Saturday. The team hopes to three-peat as champions. Come support the team on Saturday at the IMS tournament, where they will be facing Rumsey Hall once again.

JV Girls Soccer game on Halloween night vs. Berkshire Waldorf was a real thriller. Gibby popped a shot up in the air from the 18 that went over the goalie and into the net, putting the Falcons up 1 in the first half. Berkshire Waldorf responded quickly with a lot of physicality and scored to tie up the game. With the hustle of Coco and Caroline at striker, Claire and Aerin at midfield, and Barrett and Harper Leigh on defense, the team kept the ball moving around the field and in possession of the Falcons. The game ended in a hard fought 1-1 tie. IMS plays Berkshire Waldorf again tomorrow afternoon. Wish the team luck in this competitive rematch. 

Boys Varsity Soccer played Wednesday on the new turf against Kingswood Oxford School. The steadfast Falcons remained dominant throughout this match, keeping possession of the ball in order to maintain their lead. Diego scored twice, Marcus, Abdul, and Ross each scored once. Special shoutout to Lionel for scoring his first goal of the season! Wally made many key saves from inside the net, even saving an important penalty kick in the second half. Support Varsity Boys Soccer as they go on to play in the Junior School Boys Tourney at Eaglebrook this Saturday. 

Yesterday, the Grey squad of the JV Boys Soccer team traveled to Berkshire Waldorf School. The team muscled out a 6-3 victory over the school from GB. Rob “The Glove” Relyea started in net and kept the shutout going up until the half. Goals came from Huxley, Jaxon, Rex, and Jesse. The defensive duo of Paco and Max kept the ball out of IMS territory for much of the game. One of their coaches had this to say about the match: “We manufactured opportunities out of thin air, and we were working hard and communicating well on both halves of the pitch.” The team plays again today at Dutchess Day, and tomorrow at Oakwood Friends. 

5th and 6th Soccer played a match at Dutchess Day School this past Friday. Miles scored twice, and Cormac and Jack had a goal each. Assists came from Miles, Cormac, Alice, and Ryan. Jack locked it down on defense and was crucial in keeping the opponent at zero score the whole match. The Falcons came out with the 4-0 shutout victory. Wish 5th and 6th Soccer luck as they play Renbrook tomorrow afternoon.

Cross Country had a meet at Dutchess Day School on Friday. The course they ran on was 1.7 miles long, but many players and fans suspect that the course may have actually been shorter than claimed. The Falcons ran exceptionally well. Russel performed at a high level by keeping up with some of Rumsey’s fastest runners. Marlo, too, put in a Herculean effort all the way to the finish line and represented the Maroon and Grey with pride. The team will be training hard this week in preparation for a significant cross country showdown coming up against Rumsey. 

Mountain Biking had a major race on Wednesday. It was their season Championship at Norbrook Farms Mountain Bike Trails in Colebrook, Connecticut. Racing for the Falcons in B class were Tabor, Thatcher, and Cyrus who finished fourth. Greta, Jaxon, Dax, and Pearse all raced C class. Everyone who rode gave it all they had on the pedals. IMS won the Junior Category, and took home the trophy. Members of the team brought the well-deserved award to morning meeting today and raised it above their heads as the entire school applauded them for their amazing accomplishment. Congratulations to the Mountain Biking team for their heroic efforts at their Championship race!

Varsity Volleyball played IMS rival, Rumsey Hall, this past Friday. The set scores are as follows: 26-16 W, 25-23 L, 25-15 W, 25-21 W. Pippa went on a serving terror, scoring 12 points in a row to keep the Falcons comfortably ahead on the board. Rosie made some impressive blocks at the net. Louella won Star of the Game and represented IMS well with an overall outstanding performance that day. Varsity Volleyball then went on to play Millbrook at home. The Falcons soared above the competition by winning all three sets: 25-11, 25-8, and 25-15. Jess won Star of the Game for the determination and grit she displayed on the court in the game. The team will go on to play in the Rumsey Hall Volleyball Tournament this weekend. Wish them luck as they play tough to move up in the ranks on Saturday.

JV Volleyball played exceptionally well, despite falling short this past Friday vs. tough opponent, Rumsey Hall. Alexis started for the team and made many consistently incredible serves that bamboozled the opposing side. The Falcons did come out with one set, and never lost by more than a few points in the other three sets. The game was electrifying and could’ve gone in either team’s favor. Be sure to support the IMS JV Volleyball team as they play another competitive match at Oakwood Friends tomorrow afternoon.

Go Falcons!