The field was lined with fresh white paint, the grass dewy from the evening chill. Her cleats damp from taking her position at forward, Colleen O’Connell looked around and saw her teammates under a spotlight.
Two years after the football team’s first-ever night game, the portable lights were dragged across the parking lot to brighten up the soccer community. In her last high school soccer season, Colleen was able to make a memory of the special event.
With only five home games this year, the football team had few opportunities to play in front of their friends and fans. Varsity women’s soccer coach Gary Lynch came to the athletic department with an idea to spread the spotlight onto another program.
“I may be biologically different from you girls, but I am 100 percent for girls’ sports,” said Lynch. When he came to Athletic Director Larry Dukes Lynch wanted to showcase women’s sports and show off how hard his team had been working. The women’s and men’s soccer teams often practiced together, so it was natural for Lynch to include the mens’ program in their special event.
Soccer Under the Stars took place on Tuesday September 29 and Wednesday September 30. On Tuesday both the varsity and JV women’s teams played Notre Dame Prep. The game was highly anticipated, and by the time the varsity team began playing, a large crowd had gathered around the fence at the soccer field.
“There were about 600 people there, with 100 of them being kids,” JV women’s coach and Assistant Women’s Athletic Director Stephanie Maychack said. Lynch and Maychack had organized the event hoping that many of the youth club teams from around the area would be able to come out and see what the soccer program has to offer.
Both the women’s and men’s programs are affiliated with club teams through their players. Maychack brought her U-12 Baltimore Bays premier club team to come see the school play with the intentions of being able to have some of them express interest in the school.
“If there are 100 kids there, that’s 100 possible new students and players for the school,” said Lynch.
In preparation for the night, there were ideas that had to be hashed out and brought to life so that the soccer program would have enough organization to put on the event. According to Lynch, parents Hope Lookingland, Tony Maiorana, and Beth Mullin played major role in bringing his idea to life. “They were great,” said Lynch over and over. “I can’t thank them enough.”
The administration was also supportive in getting the word out. Soccer players hung posters around the school, and made multiple announcements. Dukes was excited for the games to happen because he hoped it would rally school spirit and create a new social gathering. “The concept of doing something unique and different is huge,” said Dukes. Dukes also felt that it was long overdue to showcase women’s sports with one of the best soccer teams in “all the land.”
The money necessary for bringing in the two extra sets of lights was raised in part by the snack stand put together by the parents of the soccer program, and in part by the overwhelming support of the student body.
Although the teams lost all four games in highly competitive contests, the backing and excitement of the audience of the athletes’ peers never wavered. At the varsity women’s game, a group of players from the men’s team painted their chests and spelled out B-O-D-T in support of varsity captain, sophomore Erica Bodt.
The JV women went wild when they were able to put themselves on the board when sophomore Talya Kahoe was able to get a goal off of a cross from Hannah Griffith. Kahoe scored the only goal for the Patriots, and the ending score was2-1 in favor of NDP.
The crowd was able to join in the varsity game when they shouted disapproval at the physicality of the NDP team and the yellow cards that resulted for one of their players and junior Morgan Fraczkowski. As each shot taken by John Carroll went high over the goal, the crowd seemed to know that they were getting into trouble. With another ending score of 2-1, the team could not close the gap..
The mens’ games followed the same pattern. With a contentious defeat of 3-0 for varsity and another defeat for JV, the Curley Friars came out on top that night. The men weren’t too upset though, because the support seen at the women’s game was equally as overwhelming at theirs.
Student support can spread to more sporting events. “I’m willing to work with anyone who wants to put on a night game whether that be boys, girls, spring, or fall as long as I have some help like I did this time,” said Dukes.
Allison Siegel can be reached for comment at [email protected].