Fran Guido
Last Wednesday the Dobbs Ferry Eagles Girls and Boys soccer teams played in their annual homecoming game against Hastings, a long-time rival. Both games were a spectacle of athleticism. The night of homecoming concluded with one of the most dramatic finishes that Dobbs Ferry sports have ever seen: dubbed “The Springhurst Miracle”, this homecoming will be remembered for quite some time.
The sun was still up as the girl’s varsity team kicked off the evening. The 8-4 Dobbs Girls, led by Captains, Isha Bindra, Ella O’conner, and Natalie Sparta, dominated the field for both halves of the game. Unlike the Dobbs Girls, who went 7-0 to start the season, the Hastings Girls have struggled this season. Their record before this game was 1-8-1, a score that pales in comparison to the Dobbs Girls’ 8-4. The confidence of the Eagles was on full display throughout the game, ending with a final score of 3-0. Freshman Phoebe Walker led the charge, achieving a hat trick by scoring all three of the Eagle’s goals! Having dominated the homecoming game, the Dobbs Ferry Girls Soccer team now has a 9-4 record, landing them in the number 2 slot in Section 1, Class B rankings. With this amazing showing, many people expect them to make a strong run for the Section Championship in the playoffs later this fall! They play Hastings again on Wednesday night, and if Dobbs plays with the same confidence that they did in their homecoming, the outcome is likely to be the same.
The girls’ game set the tone for the night but there was still one more game to be played. The Dobbs Ferry Boys battled against the Hastings in a tight back-and-forth matchup that lasted nearly the whole game. Dobbs Ferry managed to take multiple shot attempts throughout the game, while Hastings barely got the ball halfway down the field before losing possession. Despite this, Dobbs Ferry and Hastings both struggled to score due to each team’s strong defensive lines. Juniors Mateus Hertz-Bird, Christopher Doherty, Riley Caffentzis-Horn, and seniors Finnegan Carlsten and Captain Sam Sellitti, led the backline for the Dobbs Ferry Eagles and were crucial in preventing the Hastings Yellowjackets from scoring. With under a minute left in the game, it looked like the Dobbs Ferry Boys would exit their homecoming with a disappointing tie; However, a beautiful pass up towards sophomore Chase Colyer allowed the attacker just enough space to get a shot off. The shot was perfect, whizzing right past the Hastings Goalie and allowing the Dobbs Ferry Eagles to take a 1-0 lead with only 30 seconds remaining! It was an incredible moment to witness for the many fans in attendance.
This spectacle at Dobbs Ferry homecoming made for an incredible ending to an amazing game. This moment will last forever in the minds of both teams. For the final 30 seconds, the Dobbs Ferry Eagles held strong and walked out of their homecoming with a win. Their record has improved to 8-4-1 and they are now ranked 5th in the Class B Section 1. Their next game is on Wednesday at Albertus Magnus, a team they tied with earlier in the season. Wednesday’s win could give the Eagles the momentum they need to propel themselves toward victory in the playoffs.