By Lexi Livesay-Nicholas
It was a historic evening in Hartford as Vermont Green FC took the leap into the USL W League. The gravity of the long-awaited moment was unmistakable at Trinity Health Park on Tuesday night—a big occasion, a proper stadium, and a professional atmosphere. After 90 minutes of back-and-forth football in front of 2,000+ fans, the Green’s first competitive match ended in a scoreless draw.
A warm, muggy evening in Connecticut welcomed Abby Carchio’s side to the pitch. The Green starting eleven consisted of VGFC returner and captain #1 Olivia Shippee in net, with fellow returners #21 Georgina Clarke and #26 Violet Rademacher on the backline alongside #3 Chloe Gorman and UVM’s #15 Bridget Kennedy. #14 Liv Grenda, #15 Isabel Smith, and #23 Brenna Connell rounded out the midfield, with UVM’s #12 Lauren DeGroot and and a duo of BC Eagles, #4 Emily Mara and #20 Tess Barrett, across the top.
The Women in Green started the match off on the front foot with an immediate chance on goal and a flurry of corner kicks, all coming in the first fifteen minutes. However they were unable to capitalize on the momentum, and both teams settled into the evenly-contested half. Throughout the first 45, the Women in Green enjoyed long bouts of quality possession, while the Athletic had the higher quality chances.
Captain Olivia Shippee put in a solid shift in net, recording 4 saves throughout the first half. Shippee’s flying save in the dying seconds of the half kept the Green from conceding before heading to the locker room.
#24 Gibbs came in for #20 Barrett to start the second half. Once more, the Women in Green started strong. High pressure led to the first chance of the half from #4 Mara, who sent her shot a little high over the crossbar. After the quick start from the Green, Hartford Athletic took control of the frenetically-paced half. The Athletic saw much more of the ball, dominating in possession and chances on goal, which put the Green on the back foot.
Carchio made a trio of substitutions in the 59th minute, sending in two attacking options–#5 Evans for #4 Mara, and #16 Granholm for #12 DeGroot–and swapping #13 Garcia for #23 Connell. With fresh legs, the Green were able to get on the ball a bit more.
The Green were kept in the game by standout performances across the backline. #1 Shippee recorded 7 additional saves in the second half, while #26 Rademacher and her fellow defenders warded off every wave of attack from the Athletic, led by the talented striker, Jocyline Koffi.
Additional substitutions for the Green included #7 Birtwistle for #14 Grenda, and #66 Gnidul for #13 Garcia.
The tight, tense contest came to its conclusion after 5 minutes of extra time. Despite an increase in intensity and possession to finish the match, the Green were unable to find the net. The Women in Green’s first ever USLW match ended 0-0.
LINEUPS
Vermont Green FC — Olivia Shippee, Chloe Gorman, Violet Rademacher, Bridget Kennedy, Georgina Clarke, Tess Barrett (Lily Gibbs 46′), Isabel Smith, Olivia Grenda (Brooke Birtwistle 83′), Lauren Degroot (Daisy Granholm 57′), Emily Mara (Maya Evans 57′), Brenna Connell (Melissa Garcia 57′, Annie Gnidula 90′).
Unused subs — Blyth Braun, Ava Moore, Sydney Remington. Head Coach — Abby Carchio
Hartford Athletic — Katrina Chorzepa, Olivia Beauvois, Natalie Chudowsky, Taylor Jenkins, Emma Gregorski, Ashley Reyes, Juliana Garcia (Diana Baffor 46′), Dominique Richardson, Jocyline Koffi (Mya Johnson 75′), Shea Kelleher (Rebeca Frisk 46′), Rachel Wygant.
Unused subs — Lana Gibbs, Riley Prozzo, Alexandra Ackerman, Lydia Poulin, Gabrielle Smith, Sam Halligan. Head Coach — Danny Berrera
Referees: Danny Marquez (R), Andre Carr (AR1), Aidan Krok (AR2), Dan Pecora (4th)
Weather: Summer, 80°F
Attendance: ~2000
SCORING SUMMARY
VGFC: No goals.
HA: No goals.
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY
VGFC: No cards.
HA: No cards.
POST-MATCH QUOTES
“With only five days under our belt as a team, it’s hard to expect a lot from any squad, but this group is so special, and this is just the first step in what we are building here at Vermont Green. I’m super proud of our girls! There were so many positives to walk away with tonight and the result just proves that we can perform at the top of this league. Being a captain of this group is such an honor. They make my job easy by just being who they are—competitive, eager and super fun to work with. We couldn’t be more excited for the home opener this weekend!” – Captain Olivia Shippee
NEXT MATCH
It’s the USLW home opener! The Women in Green will host Hudson Valley Crusaders on Saturday, May 23 at 7pm on Virtue Field. Tickets are available!