Women’s Soccer Falls Short in Shootout Heartbreaker

Penalty Kicks Unkind to Lady Cougars in Final

(Lincoln, RI) - Women's soccer saw their New England championship hopes slip away, as they fell to CC of Rhode Island in a penalty kick shootout on Sunday afternoon. The Lady Cougars played their opposition to a 1-1 tie before penalty kicks were needed to decide the outcome. The shootout went six rounds and Holyoke was heartbreakingly bested 5-4 by their opponent. 

The Lady Cougars jumped ahead 1-0 in the second half of the game when leading scorer Arianna Soares (Ludlow, MA / Ludlow HS) buried her 18th goal of the season. Madisyn Davis (Ware, MA / Ware HS), who is consistently one of Holyoke's hardest working players and their second-leading scorer, assisted the goal. Paige Hebert (Monson, MA / Minnechaug HS) put forth a strong performance and was denied a game-winning goal when her late-game blast was saved by a diving CCRI goalkeeper. Holyoke's penalty kick shootout scorers were Soares, Emily McGrail (Ware, MA / Ware HS), Emma Allyn (Holyoke, MA / Hampshire Regional HS) and Hebert.

Women's soccer finishes the season with a 12-4-1 overall record and a 7-2-1 regional record. Holyoke's appearance in the New England championship game was its 20th in a row. All but four of this year's players can return to play their second season in 2025. Let's go Cougars!

Photo: McGrail (R) and Soares (21) get ready to take a free kick during a regular season home game.