Late goals earn Clarke ties

The playoffs are on the horizon, and Clarke is starting pick up steam just as it heads down the stretch in Conference A-1 girls’ soccer play. The Lady Rams have eked out a pair of ties with late goals against Kennedy (1-1 Oct. 3) and Plainedge (1-1 on Oct. 1) as they look to improve their position in the overall standings.

Senior midfielder Samantha Goodwin bulled her way through a trio of defenders to blast the tying goal by Lady Cougars goalkeeper Nicole Liotta with less than six minutes to play, and senior Madeline Anderson scored in the final minute against the Lady Hawks.

“We’re doing better as the season goes along,” Clarke coach Becky Wachsberger said. “It definitely was a positive for us [the late-game ties]. In our conference, every game is a battle, a physical battle and a skillful battle.”

Anderson, normally a defender, was moved up to the frontline late in the game against Plainedge, as Wachsberger looked to give the offense an extra forward and added firepower. “She’s amazing,” Wachsberger said. “Her fitness level is better than any kid I’ve seen her age. She’s quick, a captain and the girls love her. It’s all positive.”

The need for some more offensive punch became even more important when senior Hope Quinones was lost in the tie with Kennedy for two weeks because of injury, so senior Dina Simonian (two goals) and sophomore Jen Wahlig (one) could be among those to see more responsibilities. “Dina is a workhorse and would die for the ball,” Wachsberger said and described Wahlig as being great technically and equally outstanding at winning head balls when she goes up in the air.

Sophomore Hannah Zirkel has been a key figure in Clarke’s recent resurgence, making a big stop in the final minute against Kennedy, helping the Lady Rams earn a pair of points and picking up a confidence boost along the way. “The last two games she’s played so well,” Wachsberger said. “I think she just gained some confidence.”

The defense in front of Zirkel is anchored by Anderson, junior Nicole Russell sophomore Victoria Festa and freshman Catlin Russell. Anderson and Russell, in particular, are the veterans who help provide experience and direction for others to follow. “They do things that younger girls wouldn’t do in transition,” Wachsberger said. “They can do it and their will to win and not want to get scored on is tremendous.”

Climbing out of last place in Conference A-1 with the two ties, Clarke hopes bigger things are ahead as the playoffs approach. “We’re sitting next-to-last but we’re playing good games,” Wachsberger said. “We like the conference. It’s awesome because you’re always playing the best. The biggest improvement has been not getting down when things go wrong early in the game.

“We’re getting a lot out of the games.”

The Lady Rams travel to South Side on Wednesday (4:45 p.m.), return home to face Garden City on Oct. 18 (4:30 p.m.) and close out the regular season with a trip to Plainedge on Oct. 21 (4:45 p.m.)