The community showed support in a big way for Troy City, who lost 2-1 in a nail- biter in their final match in UWS.
By Garrett Pog
Presley Jones (Nationals) [Left] and Sydney Hewer (Heidelberg) [Right] embracing after the latter's goal in the 2nd half - @onthepitchphotography/Photo
TROY - It was a star-studded affair in Troy on Tuesday evening, as the fans, family, and community came out in spades to support Troy City WFC as they played the Michigan Stars.
The play on the field was high-level as always, the home team competed hard like usual, and their opponents weren’t any better or worse than the teams they played before, but something about this game felt different from the rest.
As I parked by the stadium, felt the cool breeze as I walked through the entrance onto the turf, and saw the players going through their typical pre-game warmups, everything felt right. This was the place that Troy City WFC was meant to play at.
Unfortunately, Troy City’s UWS season would end on a whimper, as they would lose 2-1 to the Michigan Stars (2-4-1) to bring their inaugural final record to 1-5-3.
As Head Coach John Arndt always says though, it’s about the effort, attitude and improvement, and those eventually lead to winning habits.
The match began, and it was at a back-and-forth pace to start out, as both teams had their way driving down the field and taking shots that were off frame, including a speedy Sammi Springer (Rochester Christian) swinging the ball across the box a few times.
Head Coach John Arndt and Sammi Springer (Rochester Christian) - @picsbyalexb/Photo
As time went on, TC started to settle in just a little too much, which allowed for the Stars to be able to move through the midfield with ease. The first shot on goal came when an errant pass led their forward to be in space with Simona Iacobacci (Lourdes) and GK Eva Hill (Detroit Mercy) in front, in which both made a play towards the ball to prevent it from going in.
Again, after some saves and missed opportunities, Troy City found themselves holding onto the ball for too long, and a misinput gave Lola Battaglia (Almont HS) a wide open shot, in which she was able to knock a soft roller in for the score, to make it 1-0 Stars in the 30th minute.
Even after that, TC wasn’t moving off the ball, and had a hard time getting it in space. Whenever they had a chance, the back line for the Stars was stout in not allowing any shots, and used their expert awareness to keep the ball in play, moving forward.
The first half ended, and it seemed like this would be another match in which the Troy City team never finds that spark on the field. To make matters worse, Eva Hill found herself with an injury on her lower right leg, which meant that it was time for a field player to step up and take her place. Springer volunteered under no hesitation.
As Arndt gave instruction for his team to start creating more movement off the ball, Iacobacci pleaded for her teammates to pick up the energy and pace of play, as that was the only way they were going to have a chance at winning. They would do just that.
Immediately, the tone of the game shifted, and Troy City would start to control the match in a way that didn’t seem possible in the first half. In 15 minutes, they were able to get multiple shots on goal, multiple corners, and kept the ball in the Stars’ half for the entirety of that time.
That would culminate with a deflected ball sent out wide to Sydney Hewer (Heidelberg), who’s played just about every position on this team this season, and she cracked a shot that rocketed towards the keeper’s hands, so much so that she couldn’t hold onto it, and the ball subsequently bounced into the goal to tie it up for Troy City WFC. I imagine that felt good for Hewer, as she played on the Stars last season and felt eager to get some revenge on her former team.
The high intensity continued for Troy, as they continued to put up shots and make the back line work to prevent another goal from going in. TC worked tirelessly to push in another one, but to no avail. The Stars made a drive on the other side, with Springer making her first save in the 68th minute. The hustle mentality of players like Hailey Matthews (Detroit Mercy), Emerson Lukomski (Ferris State) and Presley Jones (Nationals) cannot be understated, as they all made runs toward the ball and drove it in space to provide opportunities for themselves and their teammates.
In the final 10 minutes, the corners started to pile on for Troy, and it felt like they had every chance at knocking one in, but they couldn’t finish. Unfortunately, the ball made its way towards the other side of the field, and Olivia Howes (Rochester Christian) snuck the ball through the legs of her college teammate to score another one for the Stars, with just 6 minutes left to play.
There were no more chances available for Troy City, and they would fall once again in a close match to an academy squad, full of players that have been playing with each other for a long time.
I asked John Arndt about the game afterward, and he said “It’s another moral victory for us. Things happen, like putting a field player in goal for the 2nd half, but we dominated possession in that half too. It was about 90/10, and the 10% they had, they found a way to get a scrappy goal in. That being said, I’m very proud of the way they played in the 2nd half.”
In most cases, the players usually pack up and leave, and the place would be just about empty in 10-15 minutes. Tonight had something special written on it, with many family members and folks in the community sticking around afterwards. In fact, the owner of Limitless Physical Therapy and Performance, Seth King, was hanging around and had a special treat for the girls.
The Front of Jersey Sponsor had a Troy City jersey in his possession, and asked if the players would sign it so it could be framed and hung up in the office, as they were “celebrities” to the folks who work at Limitless. Of course, the girls obliged, and their jersey will be hung up on the same walls that host jerseys of NFL, MLS, and other pro players who have worked with them in the past.
Janie Lennon (Liverpool) signing the jersey to be framed in Limitless' office - @picsbyalexb/Photo
“We work with people in the soccer community a ton, so we’re already really embedded in it,” said Seth King. “It just made sense to partner with John. The reason I went with this is because of John. It’s not the city of Troy necessarily, but it’s the integrity of coaching that he brings, and the style that he provides for young ladies, more women need opportunities like this.” King’s wife, Crissie played soccer throughout college, and his daughter Hannah also plays, who sported a black Troy City jersey that evening.
“It’s been a great sponsorship,” Arndt added, “supports the girls and all that they do. If they have any injuries, it’s great to have someone like that to send them to. Knowing that they’re going to care for the girls is really reassuring, they have the same heart for the athletes, and they’re there for us.”
When it comes to the city of Troy, and their support to the girls on Tuesday night and the season as a whole, Arndt had this to say in a text message: “It felt pretty special to play our first game in the city we represent! One of those memories we will never forget. Hopefully we put on a good show for the amazing crowd that came out and that we can continue our partnership with the city for a long time. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of young girls, be great role models for them and to show them that those dreams of playing at the next level are possible through hard work and dedication!”
Troy City WFC posing with ball girls after the match - @picsbyalexb/Photo