If the saying is true that defense wins championships, then the Bishop Ludden girls soccer team has a great chance of bringing home the class D section title.
Heading into the postseason, they’ve posted 13 shutouts because they’re a well-connected group of girls. Plus, they have a pretty stellar senior in the net.
Everyone has a pair of soccer socks and shin guards, but the goalie gloves are Sarah Boyea’s.
Boyea leads Ludden to the practice field. The senior marches along with three other captains.
“Big honor to be a captain, especially being with the younger girls because we don’t have a JV team,” Boyea said.
After a quick jog and stretch, she gathers the tools, and gets to work.
“We’ll do a little bit,” Boyea said to one of her teammates.
There’s nothing quite like being the last line of defense.
“I love playing goalie because it’s a great feeling when you have a really great save, when your team is depending on you,” Boyea said.
She has been making saves as the starter since 8th grade.
“I wasn’t very big, say 5 feet. My first game was against Marcellus because our backup goalie got hurt,” Boyea said.
She may be small, but she covers a lot of ground. This season, she has only given up three goals.
“When a goal is scored, the most important thing to think about is, what I say to myself is, ‘I have to make the next stop after I make a mistake,'” Boyea said.
Now, Boyea and the Gaelic Knights are looking ahead to sectionals, going into the tournament with a 14-1 record.
“I think this team has the potential to go very far in sectionals. Like any team, we want that sectional title. To win that our senior year, it would be amazing,” Boyea said.
Sectionals get underway with preliminary rounds on Oct. 20.
