The Trumbull United Tornadoes U11 girls soccer team tied with Old Greenwich atop their group in the recent Rocky Hill Tournament.
On Sunday, Oct. 9, in what amounted to the championship game as both teams entered undefeated, the Tornadoes tied Old Greenwich, 2-2.
The girls fought back from a two-goal deficit when Katie Marchand set up Abby Lee for the first goal.
At midfield, Marchand lifted a ball over the Old Greenwich defense, where Lee galloped and, in stride, dribbled past the goalie.
The tying goal came when Lee picked up a ball near midfield and dribbled by two defenders before releasing the ball in front of the goal to a wide open Brianna Buda, who blasted the ball into the back of the net.
After giving up two early goals, the girls played strong defense throughout led by Anabela Martins in the middle.
On the outside, Jane Parente, Adele Datz, Lucy Carlson, Brooke and Ellie Hebeler shut down Old Greenwich’s speedy strikers. Leela Kocinsky and Avianna Rivera excelled in goal.
To make their way to the championship, the girls defeated three opponents by a combined score of 12-3.
Among the girls who scored were Mia Mallone and Sophia Bennett.
In their first game against West Hartford, the girls won 3-1.
Lee, Marchand and Bennett scored the goals.
In their second win, a 3-0 victory, Marchand scored on a pass from Buda, while Lee had a solo run for a goal.
Mallone knocked the final tally off a Lee feed.
In their third game, they beat Norwalk, 6-2.
While Trumbull and Old Greenwich finished with the same record, Old Greenwich won the tiebreaker because it allowed one fewer goals in its first three games.
This past Sunday, the girls continued their winning ways, improving to 7-1-1 on the season (4-1 in league play) with a 4-1 victory over Newtown.
Mallone scored the first two goals, assisted by Lee on the first and off a Lee rebound on the second.
Buda scored the third goal off a combination play from Rivera and Marchand, while Lee’s sped past the defense from midfield for a solo run that ended with a perfectly placed left-footed ball into the corner.
In goal, Rivera and Hope Platt were stellar.