Thunder Battles In Tourney

The Newtown Thunder U12 girls’ soccer team participated in the Bethel Columbus Day Tournament this past weekend. While the team had an overall losing record, the team capped off the tourney with a win. 

The Thunder battled hard in losses to Monroe, New Milford, and New Canaan before breaking through with a 2-0 victory over Southbury.

The defense, led by Meghan Kelleher, Emily Montoya, Olivia Caplan, and Lauren Beier was instrumental in keeping the Thunder close in each match. Goalies Stef Carr and Megan Doyle were particularly effective in turning back several shots. Midfielders Ali Manfredi, Kendra Dunnigan, Julia Shugrue, and Doyle not only supported the defense, but also helped to set up the occasional offensive charge (leading to several shots by Hailey Conrad), which increased in each subsequent match until finally paying off against Southbury.

The final match saw Alexandra Manoni score early in the first half.  Shortly before the end of the half, Jessica Maturo made it 2-0 off a pretty corner kick from Beier.

From there, the team kept Southbury off the scoreboard to end the weekend on a positive note.