On Wednesday, October 5 the Academy Girls Varsity Soccer team continued their winning ways when they hosted their nemesis, St. Pius X Sartans.

Heading into this anticipated game, Academy and St Pius shared similar records. The Chargers were 8-3-3, and the Sartans had a record of 8-3, so there was much at stake as the girls hit the field.

Academy got off to a strong start. With a series of quick, precise passes and good teamwork, they earned themselves three corner kicks early, firing into Pius territory and threatening to put a goal on the scoreboard. Academy kept their momentum going in the first half as forward Adeline Spratley ’26 hustled for the ball after Pius’s goalkeeper juggled an earlier shot and scored on a rebound.

Academy 1. St. Pius 0.

The Pius supporters in the stands were stunned. But Academy did not let down as the Chargers continued to play fast and create offensive opportunities toward Pius’s side of the field. Academy drew more blood as the girls added on another goal: forward Anna Babinski ’23 fired a precise shot into the back of the net, nicely assisted by Spratley.

2-0.

Pius did create some chances on the Academy side of the field, but Addison Cates ’27 and Isabella Barnes ’26, two Charger defenders, were not intimidated as they cleared the ball down the field. Their defense was strong and stubborn.

At halftime the Chargers were in a comfortable position, leading the Sartans 2-0. However, the team knew that two goals could be made up easily, so the girls would have to dominate the remaining 40 minutes. Could the team keep their momentum heading into the second half?

That’s exactly what the Chargers did as they raced into Pius territory from the opening kickoff. At approximately the thirty-eighth minute, forward Reily Cates ’25 drove through the field, placing a beautiful pass a few yards ahead setting up Spratley for her second goal of the day.

3-0.

By this time, Academy’s passing was unstoppable, and their teamwork and hustle continued on from the first half. Then, a few minutes later, around the forty-eighth minute, Academy worked its way from their side of the field into Pius territory once again, connecting multiple short passes and advancing the ball. Midfielder Ashley Shanks ’24 received the ball far out just inside the sideline and landed about a 20-yard pass in the penalty area, where Babinski powered a header past Pius’s goalkeeper.

The lead extended to 4-0, as Academy continued to dominate play.

Pius, however, was looking to shift momentum. They advanced the ball upfield making their way inside Academy’s penalty area. Pius created an open shot and scored a goal, making the score 4-1. Nevertheless, the confident Chargers didn’t let this one goal intimidate them as they still managed to quickly pass the ball well and clear it when being attacked. Then, late in the game, Babinski sprinted for the ball, driving through multiple Pius defenders, earning a free kick for Academy. Defender Jaclyn Lehrman ’23 took the free kick from about 22-yards out. The referee blew the whistle, and Lehrman blasted a shot into the left-side of the net. After giving up a goal, Academy answered with a goal themselves.

5-1.

“We defended well and did a great job hustling for 50/50 balls,” said Academy Coach, Andrew Wiese ’87.

Academy controlled most of the game and possessed the ball a lot more minutes than Pius. They created more scoring opportunities than the Sartans and outnumbered Pius 9-2 on corner kicks. When asked about their areas of improvement during the game, Coach Wiese responded, “We need to communicate better. Sometimes, we still get caught between decisions, and we can help ourselves a lot if we can communicate a little better.”

Although Wiese said communication as a team could’ve been better, the Academy Chargers were flawless in almost every other aspect of the game. Their commanding 5-1 lead was a testimony to this.

The Chargers now lead the St. Pius X Sartans in the standings. Please see the Advocate sports center.

The Chargers next face Rio Rancho tomorrow on October 15, and they finish off their regular season by facing Bernalillo on Tuesday, October 18.