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Entering arguably its most difficult week of the regular season, the Pinkerton Academy girls soccer team has been stingy.
The defending NHIAA Division I champion Astros (6-0-1) have won four straight games via shutout and allowed four goals on the season. They will face two fellow unbeatens this week, traveling to Bishop Guertin (8-0-1) on Tuesday and hosting Bedford (9-0) on Thursday.
Junior three-year starter Katelin McDonough anchors the Pinkerton back line, which also includes juniors Mo Smith, Anna Martel and Sydney Sullivan.
Sydney Mlynarski, another junior, is the Astros’ goalkeeper. She made two saves to earn her latest shutout.
Smith, who brings speed, communication and height to the Astros’ defense, returned from an ankle injury on Saturday, when Pinkerton defeated rival Londonderry 6-0 in its Mack Plaque game at home.
Sullivan and Martel are both two-year starters.
“We have a really strong defensive line, especially Syd (Mlynarski) in our net,” Astros senior captain and forward Bella Sippel said after the Londonderry game. “Mo is a good center back, she’s really good at talking. Kate, too. They’re really good at talking, getting the team up.”
Nicole Blake, a senior forward, said that she and her teammates stress playing defensively in the attacking third, as well. If they turn the ball over, the forwards and center midfielders press the ball carrier and try to win possession back on the opponents’ side of the field, she said.
Sippel and Blake also made life easier on their back line by helping Pinkerton dominate possession against the Lancers (3-6) on Saturday.
Blake scored twice and Sippel also had a goal.
“No one ever gets past us and I think it’s just because we have a strong, skillful team in general,” Sippel said.