What Kara Wilson did know was that this was going to be one of the last games she would play in her career for Sidwell Friends. What she didn’t know was that she would have to lead the Quakers to a 3-0 victory with one arm.
Just minutes into the game, National Cathedral School was awarded with a corner kick, and as it was lifted in to the box, Wilson collided with an Eagle defender and went straight down to the ground. Wilson’s shoulder had popped out of her socket and it looked like the Duke-bound star was done. Wilson’s first thought was, “I hope the trainer can get it back in so that I can continue to play.”
The trainer did just that, and after a few minutes on the sidelines Wilson was back in the game. Despite quite a few crossbars hit by both sides, no goals were scored in the first half.
The second half was a different story as the Quakers put three goals on the board, two by Wilson and one by junior Joan Fleischman. Wilson’s first goal came from a free kick just inside half field. She then put the game out of reach later in the half when she struck a ball into the bottom left of the net, with her arm dangling at her side. Fleischman put the icing on the cake moments later and clinched an ISL AA regular season championship for the Quakers.
“I can’t think of a better way to wrap up our regular season”, said Wilson. “It was so much fun to be a part of.”
NCS, who was lead by Marta Sniezek, could get nothing past senior goalie Asha Kai-Grant, who turned away shot after shot from the Eagles. The shutout Thursday marked the eighth on the season for Grant, who has only let in a total of six goals this year.
Sidwell hosts Bullis on Friday in their final game of the season, while NCS awaits the start of the ISL Tournament.
