Pasquerilla West vs. Walsh - Dominic Ianelli
Walsh takes on Pasquerilla West on Tuesday night in what will be a quick turnaround for each squad following a pair of close losses.
Both teams played Sunday games and will play their second games in the span of three days. Pasquerilla West (3-1) fell to Welsh Family, 7-0, on Sunday while Walsh (1-3-1) lost to Lyons, 6-0.
Sophomore Walsh captain Maryanne Fisher said the difficulty of having a multiple-game weekend will be a challenge the Wild Women are prepared for.
“Next week being midterms week and us having two games will be hard and challenging, but we did it the first week of the season, and we will be able to handle it,” Fisher said. “I think it is also a nice break from studying to go out on the field and run around for an hour or two to clear our minds.”
The Purple Weasels look to bounce back by relying on a near-perfect defense that surrendered its first points of the season Sunday. Senior captain Maddie Bray described the Purple Weasels’ preparation for the Wild Women.
“This week has been all about repetition and perfecting the plays we’ve been effective with during our last three games,” Bray said. “The talent and foundation is there, but sometimes during a real game when intensity and adrenaline is high, things can get messy if you don’t have enough practice with it. We also have a lot of new players in different positions this season, so getting used to playing with each other and communicating effectively is also really important this week.”
Last year, Walsh beat Pasquerilla West to reach the playoffs, however, Bray said the Purple Weasels are not looking back on last season.
“We tend to not focus too much on how a team has done in the past,” Bray said. “Any given day a team can step up and upset anyone. We never want to be caught on our heels so we go into every game with the same competitive mindset. I believe that if we keep our composure and communicate effectively during our game against Walsh, we’ll be very hard to beat.”
The Wild Women and Purple Weasels will play at 7 p.m. under the lights at Riehle Fields.
Lewis vs. Pasquerilla East - Tobias Hoonhout
Lewis and Pasquerilla East wrap up their regular seasons Monday night when the Pyros and the Chicks go head-to-head at 10 p.m.
Lewis (2-1-1) is looking to regain momentum as the playoffs begin after a loss to Howard on Sunday, while Pasquerilla East (2-3) wants to end the season on a high note after a losing campaign thus far.
Lewis, led by senior captains Penny Vorissis, Hannah Skrbis and Dorothy Schlueter, sits atop the division with a 2-1-1 record. Despite being one of the smaller teams in the league, the Chicks have used their veterans on defense and some crafty play-calling to stay ahead of the competition. Vorissis said she admires her team’s toughness.
“Our biggest strength so far this season has been our defense,” Vorissis said. “We’ve been pretty air tight, and I’ve been pleased with how few points we’ve given up.”
A tough schedule and several key injuries on both sides of the ball have helped Pasquerilla East to sputter to a 2-3 record this season, but junior captain Noelle Gooding said the team still has a lot to play for.
“Our biggest strength I think is our attitude,” Gooding said. “Even though a lot of things haven’t gone exactly right for us, we are still able to make a good experience of it and have a ton of fun.”
Additionally, with a lot of young players stepping up into key positions this year, the Pyros look to give the team experience in seasons to come, Gooding said.
The Chicks and Pyros will face off Monday night at 10 p.m. at Riehle Fields.
