Sports Roundup: Girls Soccer Wins Senior Game
David Creed •
This Whaler sports roundup includes updates on the girls soccer team after a convincing home victory behind six goals from their senior captain, the volleyball team, and the field hockey team.
Brannigan’s Six Goals Lead Girls Soccer To Blowout Victory
After the Whaler girls soccer team lost 5-1 on the road to the St. John Paul II Lions on Tuesday, head coach Doug LeBrecht called the team together to get them refocused and challenged them to put forth a bounce back effort on Thursday in their final regular season home game of the season. His team responded well and beat the Cape Cod Academy Seahawks 10-1 to improve to 9-4-3 this season.
“They definitely came out hot,” LeBrecht said. “The outsides weren’t working, and they went to the middle. I have never seen at this level a double hat trick. What a way for Adney to go out in her senior night. I was impressed with that. I was impressed we could keep it on the ground with the wind. Now just keep that momentum going into Saturday.”
The Whalers were led by senior captain Adney Brannigan, who scored the first six goals of the game and had four goals at halftime.
“Adney has been a captain I think for all four years. That kind of senior, especially this year, she's still getting her numbers and doing what Adney does best which is scoring and winning the game, but she's totally bringing other kids into it,” LeBrecht said. “She's a team player. That's a big change for her.”
After Brannigan scored her fifth goal of the game nine minutes into the second half, CCA made it a 5-1 game with 23:30 to go in the match. A little over one minute later, Brannigan scored her sixth and final goal to make it 6-1.
Junior captain Chelsea Gross, freshman Harper LeBrecht, junior Myah Johnson, and senior Gianna Quinn scored Nantucket’s final four goals of the game. Afterwards, the Whalers honored their three seniors (Brannigan, Quinn, and Taylor Bistany) and Doug LeBrecht had nothing but positive remarks when reflecting on their impact on the program.
"There is one at each level. One defensive one, a middie one, and an attacker,” LeBrecht said. “Gianna's spirit, feistiness sometimes gets the best of her, but she's a great senior and a great person. I like that (feistiness) on the field. That will fire you up. (She) will go to bat against anybody. Then having Taylor in the back just being consistent, levelheaded, and never seems to get in foul trouble. So yeah, all three of them had something different at each level.
“It is good to show the younger classmen, and they are always nice to them,” LeBrecht continued. “We scrimmaged JV two weeks ago and Rosie Sullivan (eighth grader) had to guard Adney, and her mother came over and said, 'My daughter was scared to death, but Adney came over and talked to her and told her she was doing a good job.’ It is good to see that.”
The Whalers will try to earn their tenth win of the season when they travel to Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday, October 26th at 12:30 p.m. You can view more photos from this game by clicking here.
Volleyball Loses 3-0 To Dennis-Yarmouth
The volleyball team lost their regular season finale to the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins Wednesday afternoon 3-0 on the road. The loss cemented their regular season record at 6-14.
Seniors Leah Crowley (five) and Rihanna Cranston (four) led the team in kills. Senior captain Vicky Todorova led the team with three aces and 15 digs. Senior Lyric Pearl led the team with 10 assists.
The sets were as followed.
Set One: 16-25 DY
Set Two: 18-25 DY
Set Three: 14-25 DY
Nantucket will now wait for the Div. 4 state tournament brackets to be released early next month.
Field Hockey Shutout By DY
The Nantucket field hockey team suffered a rare loss Thursday afternoon when they traveled to the Cape to face the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins. They lost the game 3-0.
The Whalers record is still an impressive 12-3-2, and in the latest Div. 4 power rankings they were slotted at #9 out of the top 32 schools. They will have an opportunity on Saturday, October 26th to end their season on a high note when they travel to Martha’s Vineyard for a 10:30 a.m. game.
SCHEDULE AHEAD:
Friday, October 25:
The boys soccer team will be on the road facing Cape Cod Academy at 3 p.m.
Saturday, October 26:
The field hockey team will be on the road facing Martha’s Vineyard at 10:30 a.m.
The football team will be on the road facing Newton North at 12:30 p.m.
The girls soccer team will be on the road facing Martha’s Vineyard at 12:30 p.m.
The boys soccer team will be on the road facing Martha’s Vineyard at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 27:
There are no games scheduled for this date.
For more updates on Whaler sports throughout the year, you can:
Follow Nantucket Current Sports on Instagram here.
Follow Sports Editor David Creed on X here.
Follow Sports Photographer Chris Tran on Instagram here.