Seasons are often about momentum.  Momentum comes from hard work.  Hard work + momentum = confidence. 

Make no mistake about it, with so many key players from last season’s successful team not returning, Wissahickon came into the 2017 season facing many challenges.  First off, the Trojans are a very young squad with a roster consisting of only three returning seniors, one of which is on IR for the season.  Many of the key positions on the filed are now held by very young players.  So young in fact that on many nights more than half of the players on the field are sophomores and freshmen.   

So it is understandable how such a young team will take some time to gel.  Unfortunately learning to play together as a team wasn’t the only challenge facing them.  The schedule makers didn’t exactly do this team any favors either in the team’s opening 6 games.  Wissahickon’s girls started off the season facing 6 very strong teams with a combined records of 29 wins, 9 losses and a tie.  

And yet the Trojans battled hard.  None of this young team's loses were by more than three goals and when facing three of the best teams in the area, Upper Dublin (currently 6-0-1), Lansdale Catholic (currently 5-1) and Plymouth-Whitemarsh (currently 5-2), the Trojans fell short by a single tally.  

All these factors played no small part in Wissahickon’s frustrating 0-6 start.    

Despite the girl’s frustration going into yesterday’s game versus Cheltenham, the team had been quietly showing some very positive signs recently.  After failing to score in their first two games the Trojans offense had quietly starts to come together putting up 10 goals in their last 4 matches. Better, but still no wins to show for it.  

And then came yesterday’s opponent, Cheltenham.  Cheltenham was the first team the Trojans have faced in 7 games without a winning record and the girls realize this was their opportunity to seize.  

The game itself was a bit of microcosm of the season to date as Cheltenham took an early 1-0 lead on a corner kick.  Corners have haunted these Trojans this year and giving up another corner was exactly what this team didn’t need.  A play like this could have been devastating but the Trojans saw it as a serious wake-up call.  Shortly after the goal Alexis Smith, coming off a hatrick versus Lansdale Cathilic, came flying down the sideline and fired a shot which rebounded directly to Carly Amato.  Suddenly Amato, a sniper who had gone scoreless this season despite having hitting posts and just missed on several occasions, was staring at a wide open frame.   Unfortunately bad luck continued as Amato fired the ball over the net.  But the team continued to work and the Trojans began to dominate the ball and possession. A minute after shooting over the net Amato would find herself with another opportunity, alone in front of the net, only to be whistled down for an offsides.  Shortly after that chance Alex Paul appeared to score her first goal of the season for the Trojans but the play was called offsides as well.  Wissahickon found themselves doing all the right things, but still being down 1-0.   This was all feeling familiar.  Working hard, but little to show for it. 

The team had a decision to make.  Feel sorry for themselves or just keep pounding away until something would give. And just like that, something gave.  

Carly Amato, took a nice feed and found herself one on one with a defender.  She made a move and used her speed to beat the defender cleanly to the outside. Now all that stood between Carly and the net was Cheltenham’s keeper who was charging at her.  Amato showed great skill and patience as she sidestepped the keeper and found herself alone this time with nothing but the net in front of her.  As she rolled the ball across the line for the first time this season a weight could be felt lifting off of her, and her teammates’, shoulders.  

Next the future of Wissahickon would be on display as four sophomores would team up for one of the more pretty goals of the season. The play started with Grace Mullen and Anna Schools in the midfield executing a perfect give and go and once again feeding Carly Amato who was flying down the wing.  Carly fired the ball at the net and hit the crossbar but this time Alex Paul would turn apparent bad luck into opportunity and fire the rebound into the net for her first varsity goal of her career.  The Trojans would take the lead and not look back.

The floodgates opened.  Alexis Smith would net two goals, and Carly Amato’s confidence would flourish getting two more to complete the hat trick.  Finally, Anna Schools would score from far out (giving her three goals in the last three games) and the game would end with Wissahickon netting a 7-2 dominating victory.  Next week the Trojans will get a chance to continue their resurgence with games against Upper Moreland and Springfield.  The there teams re currently tied in American conference at 1-4.