Winning the gold: Varsity soccer takes the state title

by Amanda Barkin
Photographer

The clock read 36.8 seconds and the crowd went wild. With less then a minute remaining and the game still at a tie score, the Westhill Varsity girls soccer team knew that they had to make something happen. Junior Tessa Dunster passed left to senior Penny Cote to beat the defense and take a shot. Time seemed to be moving in slow motion. Cote took this pass to score the second, game-winning goal to give the Vikings a 2-1 victory over the undefeated Glastonbury in the CIAC Class LL Tournament at West Haven High School on Friday, November 20. For the first time in Westhill history, the girls soccer program clinched a state tournament championship.

“It was amazing,” said junior Kirsten Ericksen. “You can’t even begin to describe [the feeling of winning a state championship]. It was like everything [the team] had been working toward had come true. It was like a storybook ending. I don’t think I know how hard I hugged all of my teammates, how loud I screamed, or how many times I sat back and thought, ‘Oh my god, we just won.’ I still smile when I think about it,” she said.

The game was a close one, with equal effort from both teams.  However, as this season has shown, Westhill had more heart and may be the reason why they came out on top. The girls pride themselves on their unity, on and off the field. They often refer to themselves as a family. The team plays with collaborative effort instead of allowing individual talents to dictate the game.

Despite this togetherness, it is clear that the Vikings would not be calling themselves state champions if it were not for the standout performance of their goalie, junior Jen Osher. “To be completely honest, I think our team wouldn’t be where we our today, as state champs, without [Jen]. She played the best game I have ever seen a goalie play. Even after she got injured she got back up; she really was the MVP of our team,” said lead-scorer Tessa Dunster.

The unity displayed by the girls soccer team seemed to rub off on the Westhill community at large. Two school buses full of purple clad students crowded the stands; face paint, posters, flags, and drums overwhelmed the West Haven stadium. The Westhill fans, without a doubt, impacted the momentum and drive that won Westhill this championship. It truly was a victory for the girls soccer team and a victory for Westhill.