Girls team brings in nearly $2,500 at Pink Out fundraising game
By RICHIE HALL
sports@readthereporter.com
FISHERS – After Wednesday night’s Hamilton Southeastern-Westfield girls soccer game finished, Royals coach Greg Davidson got a cold one.
A cold plunge, that is. Davidson and his son, Southeastern assistant coach Chayton Davidson, agreed to take a 90-second bath in a 45-degree tub from Cold Plunge Studios, a new “contrast therapy” location on 146th Street in Carmel.
Wednesday game was the Royals’ Pink Out game to honor cancer patients, and the team asked for donations during the game. If there was $750 raised during the game, then Chayton would take the plunge. If the donations totaled over $1,500, then head coach Greg would get into the tub.
The Southeastern team raised nearly $2,500. Once he got out of the cold tub, Greg Davidson mentioned that there are “a lot of families that are affected by cancer in our Royal family,” and called the donations an “amazing way to show our love by financial support from our community. So, I’m really proud of the Royals tonight.”
The game between the Class 3A No. 3 Royals and 3A No. 6 Westfield finished in a 0-0 tie. Both teams had opportunities throughout the game, but neither team’s defense yielded for one second.
“We’ve got an amazing defense,” said Greg Davidson. “Not just our goalie and our backline, but our team defense. We have been very stingy with giving up goals, as had Westfield. You knew that both defenses were going to be tough to get a goal in.”
“Tonight, our backline played really well,” said Shamrocks coach Hannah Eggert. “HSE has really good forwards and our backs stepped up. We also had a lot of good chances.”
Westfield is 6-0-4 this season, by far the school’s best-ever soccer start. The Shamrocks’ defense has been very strong, with senior goalkeeper Kate Pallante leading the way.”
Pallente
“Kate has been outstanding,” said Eggert. “She’s had a really great season. We’ve only given up two goals all season and a lot of that is credit to her and also our backline.”
Pallente has a 0.125 goals against average through Westfield’s first nine games, and believes that confidence plays a big part in having such success – especially against the Shamrocks’ schedule, which includes the Hoosier Crossroads Conference. The ‘Rocks are 2-0-3 in HCC play.
“I think confidence is key when you’re playing in those big games,” said Pallente.
Southeastern’s goalkeepers have also been solid. Senior Hailey Wade played all 80 minutes to collect her seventh shutout of the season. Junior Addy Ash and senior Marisa Reinhard have also played several solid minutes for the Royals.
Ash said the Royals have “gotten to a point where we’re consistently getting better,” and while a tie wasn’t what they wanted, she said it was “it was a good performance by our defense.”
Ash
Southeastern is 5-0-1 in the conference and clinched the HCC title with Wednesday’s tie. The Royals are 11-1-2 overall and finishes up conference play next Wednesday at Zionsville. Westfield plays at Brebeuf Jesuit Saturday morning for its next game.
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Up at Hallmark Orthodontics Soccer Complex, Noblesville’s girls team was an HCC winner on Wednesday, beating 3A No. 16 Zionsville 2-0.
Meredith Tippner scored both of the 3A No. 5 Millers’ goals. Tippner put in the first goal in the 13th minute, then scored the second goal in the 45th minute, off an assist by Lily Ault.
The Millers are 1-1-2 in conference play and 7-1-2 overall. Noblesville hosts Brownsburg Saturday morning in another HCC contest.
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Fishers’ girls went on the road and upset 3A No. 13 Brownsburg 1-0 for an HCC victory.
Emerson Huneck scored the Tigers’ goal, with Lauren Faulkner making the assist.
Fishers is 2-3-1 in conference play and 3-7-1 overall. The Tigers travel to Harrison Saturday for an 11:30 a.m. game.