The Rockets, behind the stalwart goaltending of Brianna Baranowski, edged the Funky Monkeys 3-2 in a penalty kick shootout to capture the Newtown Soccer Club’s U-10 girls Recreation Tournament title.

The victory capped a 4-1 run by the Rockets in the annual spring event, with key offensive power provided by Hannah Booth, Katy Reilly, Caitlyn Linden and Cate Haggerty.

The Rockets entered the championship round of the double-elimination play off as the last undefeated team, having won three straight games.   

But a scrappy Funky Monkeys squad, emerging as the top team from the loser bracket, fought back with pressure from Victoria Kirkman and Anna Biondi to knot their first game at 1-1 with a late goal in regulation. Monkeys’ goaltender Stefanie Carr then secured the shootout victory with a pair of clutch saves, tipping one high hard shot over the cross bar and batting down another blistering line drive. That forced a decisive rematch, which featured furious end-to-end rushes and game-saving stops by both keepers. The match ended regulation in a scoreless deadlock, with the Rockets then prevailing in the shootout.  

In all, more than 120 girls played from eight in-house teams in the U-10 division played in the 16-game competition over two weekends.