It was a truly remarkable night to remember for RM girls soccer last Thursday night as the team took a senior night win against Gaithersburg 2-0.
Seniors Katya Morsli, Kate Schuck, Grace Lawler, Lauren Bushey, Sue Lee, Yngara Pehoua-Dupervil, Chloe Shankle, and Judy Choi would all take the field for one of the last times. These eight girls were the backbone of the team, and would be greatly missed as they continued on to the next chapter in their lives.
Shortly after the Senior Night festivities, RM had the kickoff. The game had a quick start as the Rockets attacked the goal right away.
Together, the girls worked the ball up to the goal, and managed to draw a penalty kick. Morsli took advantage of this opportunity and scored. Within minutes, the Rockets were up 1-0.
There were several attempts from Gaithersburg, but, unfortunately for them, RM’s defense was just too strong. Every time the Trojans tried, the ball would get stolen and cleared.
For the remainder of the half, both teams fought aggressively for the ball, but neither gained the upper hand. There were good plays on each side, which was countered by the opposing defense.
The half ended with RM still leading 1-0. During halftime, Coach Montalvan reminded the girls not to cut Gaithersburg any slack and keep playing at the same intensity level. He noted that they were all hyped and did not need much encouragement.
The second half started with Gaithersburg kicking off. The Trojans were well rested and they started aggressively attacking the goal. Although there were many attempts on the goal, the RM girls always countered with even more intensity, making it impossible for Gaithersburg to even get close to the penalty box.
Ten minutes in, Gaithersburg broke through the midfielders and was in a scoring position. As nerves ran high in the crowd, the RM defense chased and swarmed the Trojan forward, thus resulting in a wide shot.
Moments later, RM saw a hole in Gaithersburg’s defense and made a run for it. Morsli quickly passed to Schuck, who skillfully aimed the ball right into the opposite side of the net. The Rockets were up 2-0.
Minutes later, RM had a breakaway, but the shot was rushed and missed. In a desperate attempt the catch up, Gaithersburg started using long passes and punts to go the ball moving. However, their attempts were futile as the Rockets were able to stop every attack.
When final whistle blew, the girls gathered around to celebrate their win. Richard Montgomery had won their Senior Night 2-0.
“This game was an intense one, but we think that we handled the pressure well,” the team reflected, “We were able to maintain a fast-paced game without getting tired and stayed ahead throughout the entire game with good teamwork.”
The Rockets look forward to continuing their winning streak against Walt Whitman High School on Tuesday, October 10th.