Freshman midfielder Sylvia Shea scored the Crimson Tide’s opening goal against Portsmouth with a looping strike from outside the box to put Concord ahead, 1-0, early.
Concord ultimately fell 4-1 to Portsmouth, but kept it closer than the scoreline showed.
“First goal of the year to come out and get that, it’s huge for us and mutual confidence of the team,” head coach Andrew Mattarazzo said. “I think she did very well to get it; she picked her head up, saw an opening, and let it fly.”
The team’s ball movement had its ups and downs, but it struggled against a tough Clippers team that had a wealth of bench players and fresh legs.
Juniors, midfielder Kate Dickson and forward Laura Vitoria, were all over the field attempting to create chances, but the team, overall, ran out of steam toward the end.
The team has a long way to go in the season, and Mattarazzo was confident that in time the team will find a groove and get back into top shape to compete with deeper squads.
“We’re pretty strong as a team, so I think getting them to play together and getting minutes together is big because a couple of them are freshmen and younger underclassmen,” he said.
Also a bright spot for the team, junior goalkeeper Camryn Dubois played solidly under the posts and made 13 saves, while her defense held their own by blocking the outpour of shots that Portsmouth rained in.
Concord’s next game is at home against Bishop Guertin on Tuesday, Sept. 2.