SUTTON – Decimated by injuries, the Sutton High School girls’ soccer team lost to the Whitinsville Christian School, 2-0 on Sept. 22. The loss dropped their record to 4-3, which hurt their postseason hopes. This was Sutton’s first loss to Whitinsville in a decade. But as the Suzies walked off the Crusaders’ field, they were not deterred with the defeat. 

“Coming here we were missing six players,” Sutton head coach Jensen Shipp said following the game. “Our goal here was to come out healthy and work our hardest and we did that.”

Bouncing back from such a defeat was not going to be easy for Sutton. Going forward, they still needed to fill the void from key injured starters like junior Taylor Bohanan and freshman Hannah Pratt, who were sidelined with concussions; junior Natalie Smith, who was nursing a groin injury; freshman Madeline Cyronak, who was dealing with painful tendinitis; junior Caroline Howe, who is out with a knee injury; and sophomore Keira Fadden, who fractured her wrist.

Sutton senior captain Leah Joseph said her team was not going to get down from a loss. Instead, she expected the Suzies to improve. “I like to think about the next game and see how we can improve. I definitely think that we need to work on marking those wide players better because we got beat on the sides. Just fixing that and not letting them get as many shots off, I think we can win next time we play.”

Using the loss as a learning lesson has paid off for the Suzies. During the next three games, Sutton found ways to better integrate the new players, as well as cleaning up their mistakes. As a result, the team has rolled off three-straight wins. They handed previously undefeated Millbury their first loss of the season with a 3-2 victory. They won a closely contested game against a tough Douglas squad, 2-1. Their most recent victory was a trouncing of Blackstone-Millville, 4-1. 

Joseph got the Suzies rolling in the right direction against Millbury, scoring first, while eighth-grader Ava Magnuson stepped up from JV to score twice, including the game-winner in the second half. Other good performances include freshman Addy Jerome and junior Ruby Adamowicz, who both scored a goal each to lift the Suzies passed Douglas.

With this recent win-streak, Sutton has raised their record to 7-3 and rekindled their postseason hopes. Teams must have a record above a .500 winning percentage in order to make the postseason. 

“We are slowly getting healthy,” Shipp said, who did have Bohanan return to the lineup. “Taylor Bohanan is back and playing and has provided us with a boost on the back line … We are missing quite a few of our central players,” but Shipp gives credit to three freshmen, Anna Joseph, Molly Jenkins, and Jerome, for elevating their play during this win streak. “Our trio of freshmen have been impactful players,” he said. “Addie Jerome leads the team in goals. Anna Joseph leads the team in assists. And Molly Jenkins makes it her mission to win every ball in the air and has been remarkable for us on the back line as a central defender.”

As Sutton gets healthy and the younger players get more experience through training sessions and games, Shipp said he is getting a glimpse of his team’s future and it looks bright. “We are improving in possession of the ball, which allows us to display the style of play the coaching staff has envisioned for Sutton soccer for this year and beyond,” he said. “We have shown some great moments in the past week keeping the ball on the ground more and playing through the lines confidently. This allows us more opportunities to play in the opposing team’s half and press when the visual cues are on to win the ball higher up the field.”

The younger players have received strong support from the veteran leadership of senior captains Katie Wright and Leah Joseph. “All you have to do is really support them as much as you can,” Wright said, who had to give support from the sidelines against Douglas and Blackstone-Millville with a recent undisclosed injury. “We’re all very grateful to our younger players stepping up and really helping us out. It’s unfortunate that a lot of us are injured, but all we can do is support each other and maybe instill that sense of comradery in us.”

Shipp said he is pleased with the leadership from his captains. “They’re good,” he said. “They’re just inclusive. We’re here to include everyone. We know it’s not the lineup we started with but we bring everyone together and know, no matter what, we’re here for each other. And the captains will be the first ones to include the new players, helping them out those moving up from JV. They do a great job making everyone feel comfortable and trying to take the pressure off of them a little bit.”

Freshman Katelyn Briggs is another player Shipp said has made her presence known. “We had a player who started on JV in the beginning of the year, Katelyn Briggs,” he said. “She’s been great for us, stepping up from the JV level to help us. She’s made herself a contributor on this team. She’s really helped us hold things down.”

Anna Joseph has definitely caught the eyes of the Sutton coaching staff. 

“Anna, she’s a freshman and she’s been amazing for us,” Shipp said. “She is a very impactful player. Every time she steps on the field, she’s been able to show that if she’s not the top player on the field, she’s definitely competing for that top spot. She’s got a bright future in terms of scoring and passing. She works her butt off to help us defend. She does everything that we ask her to do. I’m really excited to see her play over the next four years.”

Leah Joseph noticed impactful play from Jenkins on defense. “Definitely, I think Molly Jenkins has had an impact,” she said. “Playing in the back is really hard and it’s a lot of pressure. I think she’s stepped up this year. She’s very strong on the ball and she can always win the ball and you can always count on her.”

Fighting through injuries, as well as incorporating several new players, has helped bond the team. “I think we’re very close as a team,” Wright said. “We don’t see each other as separate classes, like the freshmen are over here, and sophomores, juniors are over there. “We’re all together. We don’t pay attention to what year you are in high school, so I think that’s a great way for us to bond. We see each other as equals.” 

Sutton does have some good news with Smith returning for their Monday, Oct. 4 rematch against Whitinsville Christian at 3:30 p.m. at Sutton High School. With Smith back in the fold, her presence will provide more depth in the central midfield.

 “I definitely think when we play Whitinsville again,” Joseph said. “I definitely think we can beat them.”

“Everyone will improve and we will do that together,” Wright said.

Sutton High School

Girls’ Soccer

At a Glance

Nickname: The Sammies/Suzies

Affiliation: Dual Valley Conference

Colors: Green and White

202 Record: 7-3

Home Field: Sutton High School

Coach: Jensen Shipp

Captains: Katie Wright, Leah Joseph