On Tuesday, September 30, the girls varsity soccer team matched up against Ridley at George L. King Field.
An orange autumn sky took over the field as the girls arrived in tie-dyed warm-up t-shirts for senior night. Family and friends entered the stadium, passing thoughtful posters made for each senior with a collage of photos.
Before the game started, each senior was called out onto the field accompanied by their family. The ceremony honored captain Ruby Lane, captain Katie Trout, captain Adelyn Davis, Clara Davis, Kiera Bergin, Brittan DeVault, and Sophia Aranda.
“Our team is extremely bonded, so I’m going to miss playing… I can’t believe that I’m not going to be on it next year,” Clara said.
The first half displayed a combination of both a strong passing game and defense, which kept the ball on the opposing team’s half for the majority of the 40 minutes. The offensive pressure allowed sophomore Maddie Fanning and junior Carly Thase to both score goals.
While listening to head coach Gino Miraglia and assistant coach TJ Adams at halftime, the team brought back a heartwarming tradition involving oranges.
“I brought the oranges because when we were younger, at halftime of our games, we would always eat orange slices to give us more energy,” Aranda said. “So I thought it would be really fun if we brought that tradition back for senior night. It’s a full circle moment.”
The second half brought just as much energy, with junior Ava Hurwitz scoring two goals, giving Haven a 4-0 lead.
“It felt great [to score], especially because I’m from Ridley, so it was just great to put two [goals] against them. I played with a lot of them growing up, so it was just really fun,” Hurwitz said.
However, the most unexpected goal of the night was scored with just minutes remaining in the match. Center back Adelyn Davis was subbed in at center forward after the players were given the option to choose any position to play in the last five minutes. She ended up scoring a goal, which brought everybody to their feet.
“Honestly, I didn’t realise it went in at first. I didn’t believe it, and then I realized it did, and it was great because it was my second goal ever,” Adelyn said.
When reflecting on her performance, Brittan Devault explained that scoring is a team effort.
“I think it’s about playing for the girl next to you. Even if you’re having an off game, making sure you’re playing for someone else and not just for yourself is what our team values,” DeVault said.
As the team exited the stadium, Miraglia described his thoughts on this year’s team and where they might be headed. He praised the senior class and their priceless impact on this team.
“Since their freshman year they have been great to the program. They all contribute in their own individual way. It’s great to have them on board as leaders and hopefully we will have a good finish for them,” Miraglia said.
The girls varsity soccer team moves to an overall record of 10-2-2, with their next match scheduled for Tuesday, October 7, at Marple Newtown High School at 3:30 p.m.
Savvas Zeibekis ’26 contributed reporting.
