Sparks Second In Kick-Off Tournament

 The U11 Sparks girls’ soccer team placed second in Newtown Soccer Club’s 30th Annual Newtown Kickoff Memorial Day Tournament. The team started things out on Saturday morning with a 5-0 win over the Bridgeport Rebels. The team was led by  Sarah Widmann’s hat-trick.

Newtown’s first goal was scored on a cross into the corner of the net by Emily Celentano and Veronica Vodola also scored.

Widmann finished the first half with a charge to the goal, again placing the ball in the corner. Boxed out by two defenders, Widmann started the second half by managing to keep possession of the ball and found the net for the second time. Widmann’s third goal came late in the second half off an assist by Carly Swierbut who crossed the ball in front of the net. Sparks goalkeepers Jackie Seras and Angela Vodola had five saves between them. Sparks forwards Celentano, Heidi Poarch and Izzy Mawdsley had ten additional attempts between them but were unable to find the back of the net.

Game two against the Fairfield Silver Dragons resulted in the Sparks on top again 3-1 in the late morning heat and humidity. Swierbut trapped her own rebound to put it in the goal in the first half.  Seras had several saves in the half. Swierbut then placed another ball in the net off an assist by Nathalie Schickendantz. The Sparks dominated the second half with attempts made by Madi Ziperstien, Schickendantz and Seras. Celentano scored Newtown’s final goal on an assist from Widmann. Sparks goalkeeper, Angela Vodola had five saves in the second half.

The Sparks suffered a 3-2 loss to Weston on Sunday. Keeper Seras had three saves in the first half. Swierbut had a full field drive with two defenders on her and still managed to find the corner of Weston’s net. Weston’s aggressive defense again boxed in Newtown’s offense but Celentano managed to evade them and drive a hard ball in the back of the net in the second half. Veronica Vodola and Gabrielle Reisert each had attempts on goal throughout the game.

The final game on Sunday afternoon was another shutout, with the Sparks blanking Ridgefield Orange, 4-0. Swierbut scored the only first half goal on an assist by Widmann. Emma Curtis found the back of the net off an assist by Swierbut. Within 60 seconds of Curtis’ goal, Swierbut crossed the ball to Curtis who set up Mawdsley for the third goal of the game. The Sparks’ fourth goal was scored by Widmann off an assist by Veronica Vodola.