Lower Merion girls’ soccer Aces early tests

Ardmore >> Throughout pre-season camp, the Lower Merion girls’ soccer team focused on playing the ball into the box and finishing.
Through their first two games, the Aces have reaped the benefits of the added work, registering a season-opening 2-0 win over Merion Mercy followed by a 5-1 win over visiting Archbishop Carroll Aug. 31.
“We made it a point of emphasis to send good balls into the box and finish,” said Lower Merion head coach coach Kevin Ries. “Today we did that. It was fun to watch.”
Of the five goals scored by the Aces, three came off of balls played into the box that the hosts were able to convert.
The turning point came less than a minute after Lower Merion goalie Audrey Brown made a point-blank kick save with 16:52 remining in the second half. Shortly after Brown’s save, the Aces came right back downfield where junior Laura Getselman received a cross, juked a defender at the top of the 18-yard box and drilled a low liner into the back of the net to push the lead to 4-1.
“That save was huge,” said junior Maya Masotti, who closed out the scoring after taking a feed from fellow junior Hannah Shalaby to provide the final margin. “If they had scored it would have been 3-2 and at that point anything could happen. I believe it sparked us to turn things back around.”
“Soccer is that way,” added Ries. “If they score it’s 3-2 and we’re trying to find a way to hold on in the last 15-20 minutes. Right after the save we were able to turn things around, score and exhale a little bit.”
Brown’s kick save came as no surprise to her coaches or teammates. Unable to play the past two years due to Academy soccer, Brown decided to switch club teams that allowed her to play for school.
Brown’s arrival put the Aces in a comfortable position that most teams would love to have – two goalies. Prior to Brown’s arrival, junior Bridget McCann held the goalie spot and delivered.
“We are fortunate to have two talented keepers,” said Ries. “They push each other practice and make each other better.”
While Brown adds depth to the keeper position, her job is made easier due to her teammates in front of her by doing a great job of communicating and playing together as one.
“Everyone in front of me does a great job and that makes my job easier,” said Brown. “From the front to the back to the middle they all work together.” Heading into this year with a roster that is junior-heavy, Ries knew he had a talented freshman class coming in that he hoped would be able to gel with the older kids as well as make contributions. Freshmen Ely Slensky, Emma Burke and Grace Downey have stepped up and contributed immediately. These are three of six freshmen on the Lower Merion varsity roster that contains only two seniors.
“The most important thing we wanted to do was tell them how much of close-knit community Lower Merion girls soccer was,” said junior Hannah Shalaby. “We knew our best asset was how well we worked together and getting them on the same page was key. We were excited for a new season.”