Milton's varsity girls' soccer team advanced all the way to the New England semi-finals, having finished their season with a commendable 12-3-2 record. In their first game of the New England championship tournament, the girls beat Greenwich Academy in a shootout after tying 1–1 at the end of regulation time. They went on to face Loomis Chaffee in the semi-finals, again tying 1–1 at the end of regulation and being eliminated on PKs in a shootout battle.  

Of the team's final game and of the season, Coach Peter Kahn said, "We played our style of soccer today and showed that heart, teamwork and skill are a powerful combination. The girls worked hard for each other, showed pride in their collective success, and formed a close-knit community on and off the field. This was a special group to be a part of. With 12 returning players accounting for 33 of our 46 goals, we will be looking to build on this year's positive momentum next fall."  

Senior co-captains Beverly Leon and Jackie Hannigan agree that being a member of this year's team was special. "Being a leader on this team was easy, because the girls made it easy," Bev says. "There was no drama. We're friends on and off the field. When everyone is positive, and cooperates, being a leader isn't so hard."  

"Everyone was dedicated to doing well all season," Jackie adds. "We all wanted to get there, so we worked hard, and we pushed each other. We wanted to do well not only for ourselves, but also for our teammates."  

The girls also credit their coaches for leading them to success this season, saying Coaches Kahn and Elizabeth Lillis are a "good balance to each other." "Mr. Kahn is hard on us, in a good way," Jackie says. "He pushes us in practice and in games." "Ms. Lillis is always there to back us up," Bev adds. "She helps us out when we're having a hard time.  She was a great support to us this year; being a woman, she relates well to teenage girls."  

Aside from the team's victories on the field, the season carried many highlights—team dinners replete with pizza, movies and bonding; Swap-It practice, where the team—coaches included—showed up to play in their finest and "most ridiculous" bargain finery; and small personal victories that are the building blocks of a team's success: Bev recalls, "At the start of the year we all made goals for ourselves, and some of the younger players who didn't see as much playing time had goals like 'I want to start a game,' or 'I want to score a goal.' It was very cool getting to see them do those things on the field."

 

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