Partly cloudy. Low 22F. Winds light and variable..
Partly cloudy. Low 22F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: December 27, 2022 @ 10:18 pm
Samantha Sacco. | Photo courtesy Jay Hudson
Kate Rafferty.
Samantha Sacco. | Photo courtesy Jay Hudson
Kate Rafferty.
WESTERLY — Coach Jay Hudson believes the Westerly High girls soccer team experienced significant growth this season after finishing as the runner-up in the Division III tournament.
“For the seven years I’ve been at Westerly this has been the best all-around team I’ve had. Not one of them was an individual, not one of them was selfish,” he said. “It didn’t matter who you were or what grade you were in. It was all about the team and what you could do for the team.”
Westerly finished 14-4, losing to Toll Gate, 1-0, in the D-III finals.
Senior Samantha Sacco and sophomore Kate Rafferty earned first-team All-Division III recognition.
Sacco led the team in scoring with 21 goals and two assists. The 21 goals are the fourth most scored by a Westerly girls soccer player. Brittany DeGrooth had 30 in the 2014 season. Morgan Page scored 27 both in 1995 and 1997. Sue Mercurio had 22 in 1982, and Darleen Douglas, like Sacco, had 21 in 1984.
Sacco scored four goals in a 7-0 quarterfinal victory over Cranston East.
“Her speed and her aggressiveness made her so good up top,” Hudson said. “She just played fearless. She is the first striker since Ali Haik [in 2016] who played fearless.
“She had good instincts. She knew if she could take a touch or if she just needed to shoot or use her body to get the ball in the goal,” Hudson said.
Rafferty played on Westerly’s backline and used her speed and judgement to win balls. She was part of a defense that allowed just 10 goals in 18 games with 12 shutouts.
“She was solid in the defense back there. She took control of the defense,” Hudson said. “She can anticipate where the play is going to be and she is not afraid to run up. She is an extremely smart soccer player and had an all-around great year.”
Rafferty also scored four goals and contributed 10 assists.
Sophomore Eva Intrieri earned second-team Division II recognition. Intrieri was second on the team in scoring with nine goals and three assists from her forward position.
“She was on the left side of Sam. She is very fast and does a good job of anticipating,” Hudson said. “She also played fearless and she was extremely aggressive.”
Senior Gia Keegan earned all-academic recognition.
Junior Abby Gervasini was the team’s recipient of the Alice Sullivan Perseverance Award.
“She was doing a great job and earned a starting spot at right back during the preseason,” Hudson said. “But she got COVID and it knocked her back. My heart went out to her after she had worked so hard.
“We had to play her up front for just a few minutes at a time because she couldn’t run for more than four or five minutes at a time. She will play a major role for us next year.”
100 Main Street, Westerly, RI 02891
+ 401-348-1000
circulation@
ricentral.com
news@
thewesterlysun.com
classified@
thewesterlysun.com
Our mission: To be the primary catalyst that motivates people to contribute to the intellectual, civic and economic vitality of our communities.
Advertise with us
