The Lynn U12 Youth Girls Soccer team was crowned champion after beating Marblehead on penalties, 2-0, this past weekend. It wasn’t straightforward for the Mockingjays, however, as they had to beat the fourth-, third-, and top-ranked teams to get there.
The Mockingjays are a mix of 5th and 6th graders, and went undefeated in the Essex County group at 6-0-1. They finished atop of the group, qualifying them for the postseason.
No. 5 Lynn had three problems standing in its way, however: No. 4 Newburyport, top-seeded Wakefield, and No. 2 Marblehead.
The Mockingjays took care of business against Newburyport, which gave them momentum heading into their game against Wakefield.
Just prior to the playoffs, the Mockingjays were playing some of their best soccer, which made head coach Karyn Miller believe the team had a chance to make some noise.
“Myself and my assistant coach, Stacey Woodbury, could see the plays being made and then they started to string together a bunch of passes to make a play on the net,” Miller said. “They really came together and grew in terms of their skills and gameplay.”
Against Wakefield, Miller said she didn’t think her team felt “intimidated” one bit.
“I think the win (against Newburyport) gave them the confidence to walk into Saturday, and it really didn’t seem like they were intimated that they were going up against the No. 1 seed,” Miller said. “We had the opportunity to see Wakefield play before our game on Tuesday, so I said to the girls that I think we have just as good a chance against them.”
All season long, Miller said Isabella Nicosia was “eager to score,” and in the semifinals, she rose to the occasion and delivered with her first goal to help propel the Mockingjays.
“The team strung together a bunch of passes and then Isabella got the goal. The entire team was just so genuinely thrilled for her that she scored,” Miller said. “Her family was excited and to look across the field and see her whole family and our fan section electric because she scored her goal, it was great. I think we rode that tide the rest of the way.”
The goal energized Lynn, leading to a second strike a few minutes later – this time, from defender Elisabeth Claudino.
“It was a long kick from Elisabeth and she’s one of our defenders, and she was key this whole season, certainly in the playoffs,” Miller said. “She was a stonewall back there and has a great foot. She curved it into the net from pretty far out.”
The Mockingjays defeated Wakefield, 2-1, to advance to the championship game.
And in the title showdown, there was no separation between Lynn and Marblehead.
“No team really dominated the game or had the ball in their end or in the other team’s end. For the majority of the time, the game was truly played in the middle of the field,” Miller said. “Our defense was so solid throughout our season, but especially on Saturday and Sunday. They say defense wins games, and this was evidence of it.”
After regulation, the two sides would play two five-minute overtimes, and if there wasn’t a breakthrough, penalties would decide it.
“We have an actual goalie. At this age, not a lot of players are minted to be a goalie, which is understandable,” Miller said. “However, we have a goalie, so I was hoping for penalties, which is something coaches, normally, never want.”
Miller had all the confidence in the world in her shot-stopper, Cate Friedman.Friedman didn’t let the team down, saving each and every penalty shot en route to victory.
The two penalty scorers for the Mockingjays were Juliet Chevalier and Laura Webber.
Lynn Youth Soccer teams have been on a tear lately, with the U14s and, now, the U12s claiming championships. There is a lot of talent in Lynn, and Miller hopes more kids sign up, regardless of skill level.
“Any age and any skill level, because the intramural program is designed to help them get their skills to where they need to be. Then, go and play on a travel team,” Miller said. “Once they get on a travel team, then those girls tend to stay together and play together and really learn how to play the game.”
Roster:
Friedman
Chevalier
Webber
Claudino
Nicosia
Mairin Miller
Allie Compton
Angelise De Leon
Camilla Velasquez
Isabelle Tully
Lindsey Woodbury
Lucy Labbe
Maddison Shacklewood
Sophia Prado
Mark Aboyoun Mark Aboyoun is a New Jersey born sports writer at The Daily Item. Aboyoun is a graduate of Saint Joseph's University '18 and went on to earn his Juris Doctor at Western New England School of Law in 2021. View all posts 
Related posts:
Lynn U14 Thunderbolts make championship noise No curveball here; state tournaments are in full swing Lynn Jets fly past East Boston at home ROUNDUP: Lynn falls short in game one
