SWAMPSCOTT — Swampscott’s girls soccer team enjoyed another strong season under head coach Jaymie Caponigro. The Big Blue finished 9-6-5, earned a postseason win and captured the Lynch Division title in the Northeastern Conference.
“I think the season we had speaks more than just the record. It’s no secret that the biggest class that I have in our entire program is our junior class. A lot of them have been with our team since their freshman year. Their growth and development, not only as soccer players but as people and leaders, was huge for us this season,” Caponigro said. “When we took the field on Aug. 18, that leadership and maturity from that class was shown almost instantly. It’s great to see that class step up this season. I think that was a huge reason why we had success.”
Entering the fall, the Big Blue returned their entire starting lineup and were able to give more minutes to underclassmen as the program continued to grow.
“Having freshmen who stepped onto the field to contribute, having sophomores who contributed when they were freshmen and now played a big part in the starting lineup helped as well,” Caponigro said. “The leadership we had from our three seniors also played a big role. Not losing anyone from our starting lineup from last season definitely helped us hit the ground running.”
Two words held particular meaning for the Big Blue this year: “passion” and “grit.”
“One of the words we focused on this season was passion. I think for a lot of our players, they’ve played soccer for a really long time, but getting to represent your community, your town, your peers and getting to put on Big Blue uniforms reminded them of the passion and love they have for the sport,” Caponigro said. “We finished first in the Lynch Division in the Northeastern Conference, which was only the fourth time in program history. I think bringing up the passion for not only the sport but for our community helped create a positive environment when competing.”
That emphasis on passion set the foundation for another trait the Big Blue leaned on just as heavily — grit.
“We also spoke about the word grit. We know that in the Northeastern Conference, we faced some very good competition, especially against towns and cities that are bigger than us. Our nonconference games were also against very good teams,” Caponigro said. “We knew that going into a lot of these high-intense games we were going to need grit. It wasn’t always going to be the prettiest, it wasn’t always going to be the best, but we had to figure out a way to make it through. We talked about grit and just showing up and competing for each other and for the team.”
One of the team’s strengths was its defense, which posted double-digit shutouts behind a strong back line and reliable goalkeeper.
“If you look at our stats, even in our ties and goals against, we’re definitely more of a defensive team. I think our defensive line really helped hold it down for us, especially in tougher games this season,” Caponigro said. “Eve Byrne played in just about every one of our games. I think she had either 10 or 11 shutouts, and that not only speaks to her skills but also the defense that’s in front of her. She found herself behind Greta Siefken, Cecilia Tripp, Sam Ward and Maddie Mohan — those players were consistently in our back line and helped us defensively.”
Although their defense stood out, the Big Blue also found ways to hurt teams offensively.
“In the midfield, having Jane Raymond — who is a playmaker and helped get things set up — was huge. Greta, although she’s more of a defensive player, was our leading scorer and able to find the back of the net,” Caponigro said. “Freshman Chloe Rogers stepped up for us and was our second-leading scorer, which was great. Her sister, Lyla Rogers, also helps us out offensively. We have a lot of different players who contribute both offensively and defensively.”
Although the season ended in the Round of 32 against Cardinal Spellman, the Big Blue will return all but three seniors — Easter Cunningham, Ward and Fiona Keaney — all of whom made an impact. The future, Caponigro said, remains bright for Swampscott.
