Reported by the team's coaches
Boys Varsity Cross Country
The Boys Cross Country track team enjoyed a fine season. Our first meet debuted some new players and included the return of two top finishers from last year's ACIS championship team. Dante P. placed first while new runner Jacob I. showed promise. The hilly Van Cortlandt Park course did not dissuade the runners, and they competed well.
Cross Country is unique in that it is a team and an individual sport simultaneously. A team of five is required to score at a meet, but after Dante’s season ended early due to a stress fracture BFS couldn’t field more than four runners. Fortunately. stepped up and made a full commitment to the team by leaving the soccer team. His leadership helped the runners focus on their training and races even though they were unable to compete for this year’s ACIS Championship.
Cross Country can be an unforgiving sport. The hills in the park represented the ups and downs of the season. Now they know how to crest those obstacles and channel their work to take on new goals for the remainder of the school year.
Girls Varsity Cross Country
The Girls Cross Country track team is relatively young. Our three core runners were sophomore Elinor H. and ninth graders Giovanna M. and Maya K. All three displayed a common passion and dedication to their training and to their teammates.
Young runners are at a disadvantage in cross-country because they typically have not had time to develop the strength necessary to maneuver the challenging 3.1 mile course at Van Cortlandt Park. Ultimately, Giovanna placed 9th in the ACIS Championships. Overall the team is in a position to inspire their peers to take part in the sport and build a stronger team next season.
Middle School Boys Cross Country
The Middle School Boys Cross Country team fielded three new seventh graders who seemed to have running in their souls. Miles N., Phil C. and Emmit S. finished in the top twelve in all of their races. More importantly, their performances improved in every one of their races. The runners studied and digested the nuances of the meets and of their competition, and helped form a cohesive team.
The season culminated with a first place finish in the ISAL Championship race. The runners' maturation throughout the season helped them excel in this final race, with Miles, Phil and Emmit placing second, third and fourth respectively.
MS Girls Cross Country
The short story The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner rang true for the Girls Middle School Cross-Country team this season. Naomi M. made a full commitment to the team, and did a great deal of her training with the Middle School boys and Upper School girls teams. Her dedication and maturity paid off as Naomi performed strongly in all her meets and placed a very strong sixth in the ISAL Championship meet. Next year we hope more Middle School girls follow Naomi’s lead and join the team.
Boys Varsity Soccer
The Boys Varsity Soccer season was a learning experience for all and the team improved its cohesion, skills and results. Misha H. was an excellent captain who led by example, battling indomitably up front, scoring a number of fine goals and dependably taking penalty shots. Oscar P. ably assisted, worked hard at the back and was a motivating force during team talks. Noah K. had a fine first season in goal and saved a penalty in his very first away game against Staten Island Academy. Theo E. also played effectively in goal and was lively on the wings. William W. proved he is a skillful player and he too scored a number of quality goals. Larry N. always kept running his heart out 'til the final whistle and Alan H. was an aggressive force at the back. Dylan S. and Jonathan S. used their speed and energy to good effect at times. This team had a number of determined freshmen and it is squad that promises much in the future. Thomas C. was versatile and played a number of positions with great composure. Juan A. and Ryan J. deputized keenly in defense. Julien B. has the potential to be a playmaker and frequent scorer. Most promising of all was Lucas M., whose dribbling and distribution were first rate. A highlight of the season was coming from behind 1-3 against Berkeley Carroll to tie 3-3 in the last 15 minutes of the game. Thomas C. and Theo Eagle scored terrific goals and the team showed fantastic spirit. Having tied 3-3 against LREI early in the season, we demonstrated how far we had progressed with a decisive 5-2 victory against them in a rematch at Chelsea Piers.
Girls Varsity Soccer
The Girls Varsity Soccer team finished with its first ever winning season after already showing marked improvement in last year’s season. Led on the pitch by captains Madeleyn V. and Victoria L., and from the sidelines by injured senior Zoe B., the team finished 7-6-1. They succeeded in breaking several school records they had already set last season including most wins in a season (7), most goals scored in a season (42), least goals conceded in a season (24) and best defensive record in a season (6 clean sheets). The team averaged 3 goals per game, taking 151 shots, with 68% on target; an improvement of 10% from last season.
Senior striker Madeleyn led the scoring with 14 goals in 13 games, and in doing so now leads as BFS’ all-time top scorer with 32 goals across her four years at the school. Her unselfish play attributed to her creating five assists, too. Ninth grader Aoife H. achieved a stellar season in her first year with the team, scoring 9 goals and 2 assists. Both Madeleyn and Aoife were nominated for the A.C.I.S All League Award.
Other ninth grade players Louisa G., Sarah F., Julia. B and Maret S. all scored their first goals for the school and made huge contributions on the field. Sophomore striker Olivia P. played more of a deeper midfield role this year but still managed to score 2 goals and provided the most assists this season with 7.
The team’s strong defensive record was due to some excellent goalkeeping displays from Sophie A. She recorded 6 clean sheets, with 34 saves, and even managed to score a goal when she was asked to help out in an outfield position. Janna J. moved out of the goalkeeper position and became an integral part of the team as a striker, scoring 4 goals and 3 assists. New players Mimi G. and Lotte W. were welcome additions to the school and the team and helped us achieve a great season.
Our defensive unit of Julia. G, Louisa , Victoria, Clara S. and Oona M. held our opponents to only 24 goals allowed; an average of 1.7 goals per game, despite playing a strong schedule against well-established soccer schools.
Thank you to seniors Madeleyn, Victoria, Zoe and Oona for four years of dedication to BFS Girls’ Soccer. We wish you all the best at college.
Middle School Soccer
The Brooklyn Friends Middle School Soccer Team enjoyed a very successful fall season. They practiced very hard during the build up to the first game, improving their fitness and developing a true sense of team spirit. They got off to an excellent start, winning the first game 2-0 against Berkeley Carroll and following that up with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Birch Wathen Lenox. Paulo F, Halima M, Sam G, Noah W and Julian S were among the scorers. A further 3 victories were to follow this, making it 5 straight wins and the perfect start for the hard working
soccer players.
Suggestions of an undefeated season were starting to surface! A spell of indifferent form was to follow this explosivestart, with only one win coming from the next 4 games. However, the players worked hard to turn things around and they put an end to this run, winning in style 8-4 against United Nations School and restoring a sense of Blue Pride! In this game, Mali A opened her goals account for the season, scoring twice. Sophie S also netted her first goal of the season and Charlie S was in inspirational form, with 5 assists. The season ended on high note with the team winning the next 4 from 6 games. In the final game, Ben and Sam, scored 2 spectacular goals to seal a 3-0 win over Brooklyn Heights Montessori. This was enough to secure second place in the overall league standings. A special mention should go to Max N, the ever-dependable goalkeeper and to Isaac H for his effort and dedication to the cause in every game. Charlie H, one of four captains, led by example in every game and produced some outstanding performances towards the end of the season. Overall, it was a tremendous season for the Middle School Soccer Team and it was a joy to watch them grow not only as individual soccer players, but also as a team.
Girls Varsity Volleyball
Girls Varsity Volleyball had a season to remember! We started the year with 3 main team goals: make the state finals, win both regular season leagues, win playoffs, be undefeated in both leagues. We accomplished almost all of our goals. We made the States, won one out of two leagues, second in the other, won one out of two play-offs, second in the other, and finished both leagues with only one loss in each (7-1, and 5-1) to finish almost undefeated. All in all, the team represented the school well, finishing with a 15-4 overall record after the play-offs and State tournament.
Special thanks to our seniors Katie C., Becky G., Amaris B., Erin C. and Jessica C., who from the beginning were determined to lead the team and continue the BFS legacy of success. Our other players Herron H., Chloe B., Sarah M. and Anna E. stepped up to the challenge and made great improvement throughout the season.
Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball
Two words can define the Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball season: determination and solidarity. The team consisted of 12 athletes; junior Sidney A., sophomores Tyler C., Simret H., Kyla O. and Sofia S., and ninth graders Daisy F., Michelle L., Sage M., Kariesha M., Bianca R., Fiona S., and Christeline V.
We had a consistent season and finished 6-5. Of the 12 athletes, four of the girls were returning players. Most of the others were newcomers to the team and to the sport. The Lady Panthers had several triumphs throughout the fall season. One of our biggest came when we defeated Packer. It was the most intense match of the season and it required us to play as a well-trained team. We lost the first set, 13-25 and then came back and determined as ever to win the following two, 25-22 and 27-25.
Our league record for the season was 6 wins and 5 losses. With this record we were able to play in the semifinals as the 4th seed. Unfortunately we lost to UNIS, whom we defeated in two consecutive sets in the regular season. We are very proud of the girls and their accomplishments this season.
Middle School Girls Volleyball
Words cannot capture the magic of the Middle School Volleyball team’s fall season. The starting line to one of the team’s favorite cheers was “From the East, to the West, Panthers are the best…” This group of young players was indeed the best in numerous ways. They worked tirelessly as individuals to develop their skills. They worked as a group to play as one unit on the court, to support each other, and to represent BFS in the best possible way. Winning thirteen straight matches and the Poly Prep Middle School Invitational Tournament was the tangible reward for this hard work. Building self-confidence, resiliency, and mental toughness, plus developing superior sportsmanship were the intangibles. All eighteen players put their heart and soul into every practice and every match. Each girl brought individual strengths, which when combined, created an unbeatable team. All players deserve recognition starting with our all-star team captains Caroline, Nell and Abby. Maya, Ashley, Taty, Jaden, and Sonya were our leading servers. Julian and Grace brought determination and skillful passing to each match. Newcomers Anna, Ruby, Lily, Cosi, Caila, Tyler, Valerie and Elise made tremendous progress and many contributions on the court throughout the season. Team managers Dalia and Nia were awesome!
This team was not just about hard work, the girls also knew how to have fun together, shake off their mistakes and adjust quickly to challenging situations. We had a season that truly characterized Blue Pride, one that will be remembered fondly by players, coaches and fans as the years go by. The BFS Middle School Volleyball Team represented not only the athletic department, but also the entire Brooklyn Friends School community, with integrity, dignity and humility.