The girl’s soccer team had a busy week, with games Tuesday January 8, Thursday January 10, and Saturday January 12.  On Tuesday, they played a rivalry team Mcghee.  At Tad Gormly, Mcghee had a tailgate set up and a big fan section for their biggest game of the season. The team started the game confident in their ability to outplay Mcghee, but still worried that the “hype” and expectations around the game could cause trouble.  Newman ended up winning the game 5-3. The fan turnout was surprisingly pretty good, and the team was thankful for the support. Two days later, the team traveled to Mandeville to play Northlake Christian.  Newman won 3-0 and looked strong and cohesive on the field. Saturday, they played Ben Franklin at home at 9… well the game was supposed to be at 9.  A  miscommunication with the refs delayed their arrival 45 minutes. Besides this (unsurprising) scheduling mishap, the game was the most competitive and well played of the week. Newman had possession 85% of the game, although loosing 1-0.  Ben Franklin scored once from an offsides play that was not penalized. There was only 1 ref present to make the call, and the Newman girls disagreed with it. Unfortunately, Newman’s offense was unable to find the back of the net, but this game was a reminder to the team of their capability in possession and defense. Newman dominated the game (besides the 1 point loss). In the two weeks remaining before the play offs, the girls will face more exciting rival teams like Country Day and Sacred Heart.