Portsmouth Takes Title From Wickford on Second Half Goals

MIDDLETOWN – The Portsmouth Middle School girls’ soccer team is the new state champion, using an own goal by Wickford and a goal from Mary Kate McGuire to win 2-0 Wednesday night at Gaudet Middle School.

Portsmouth got the only goal it would need about halfway through the second half. (See video.) A corner kick from Michaela Kosoff went off a Wickford defender standing on the goal line and into the net for an own goal.

McGuire added a second goal for the Patriots with 6:22 remaining. It took her a couple attempts, as the Wickford goalkeeper initially turned her away before she hit a rebound in.

Wickford mounted its best offensive surge in the final five minutes, but Portsmouth defended three corner kicks and several close throw-ins without allowing a goal.

The title is the first for Portsmouth coaches Leah Pineau and Jen Colson.

Colson admitted that they were nervous as the game went longer and longer without a goal.

“It was very stressful,” she said, laughing a bit in relief following the game. At the half, she and Pineau told the team to “pick up the intensity.”

Pineau said, “We told them to win the balls in the midfield.”

Asked about McGuire’s goal, Pineau credited her with sticking with the play.

“It was a jumble in the midfield and she stuck with it,” Pineau said.

Wickford head coach Mike Manning said that while it was disappointing to lose in the finals, the Wildcats couldn’t have gotten there without their eighth graders.

“We had great leadership,” Manning said. “They fought the entire game.”

Noting the “great depth across the field” his team had, Manning said he thought they could be a title contender at the start of the year.

“We felt like this was something we were capable of,” he said, adding that they had some returning seventh and sixth graders.

“We have a great core and we’ll build around that going forward … No doubt they’ll do great.”

Pineau said the Patriots were challenged throughout the playoffs by the Southern Division teams, which snapped the team out of a late season malaise.

“They thought they could just show up and go through the motions,” Pineau said. “Wickford played a good game, and all through the playoffs we faced good teams.”

“It was a good challenge,” Colson said.