East Providence girls' soccer squad seeks its footing in new league

Townies move up to Division II after years of dominating D-III

By Mike Rego
Posted 9/20/18

EAST PROVIDENCE — After being one of two dominant teams in Division III the last few years, the East Providence High School girls’ soccer team recently opened up play in new digs, Division II, …

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East Providence girls' soccer squad seeks its footing in new league

Townies move up to Division II after years of dominating D-III

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — After being one of two dominant teams in Division III the last few years, the East Providence High School girls’ soccer team recently opened up play in new digs, Division II, where the Townies were off to a 0-2-2 start as of the beginning of this week.
East Providence, winners of the D-III title in 2016 and runner-up to fellow D-II newcomer Johnston last fall, began its 2018 league slate with a 2-0 loss at Chariho. The Townies next played Exeter-West Greenwich to a scoreless and then fell to rival Johnston, 4-2. E.P. and Lincoln School finished in a 1-1 tie earlier this week.
“We expected Division II to be more physical. The teams to be more skilled and play at quicker pace,” said long-time EPHS head coach Angelo Pizzi, who’s assisted again by his new wife, the former Stacey Delos. “And we prepared for that with our summer training and our preseason training. We’re in shape physically, but we just haven’t been able to put it all together technically yet.”
The Townies lost three of the best players at the positions in Division III to graduation in striker Grace Abrams, midfielder Hailey Placido and defender Lindsey Amaral. In Abrams, E.P. no longer has the services of one of the top scorers and all-around players in the entire state.
“Those three were the spine of our team,” Pizzi said. “And quite honestly we’re struggling to put that form back together.”
The Townies play out of a traditional 4-4-2 formation backed by one of Rhode Island’s finest keepers, junior Mia Jackson. A three-year starter, the coach says Jackson has embraced being the on-field leader of the current group.
“Mia is in mid-season form. Her maturity has really come out,” Pizza said. “She was always vocal, but now she is really running things, directing and organizing the team in front of her. Her skills have always been there, but her leadership has come to the forefront.”
Team captain and senior Lily Palumbo leads the defense, playing the left side. Senior assistant captain Isabel Lopes starts on the right. In between are sophomore Ashley Dias and junior Ashley Cassino-Henriquez.
“We toyed a bit with some different people at the back to start the year, but this group is starting to gel. We’re locked into getting them organized back there," Pizzi said.
At midfield are returning starters and juniors Savannah Feola and Aaliyah Pattie along with two freshmen, Lily Budnick and Tessa LaRoche.
“They need to get to know each other as a group. They’re familiarity isn’t showing yet,” Pizza said of his midfielders, admitting there would be some expected growing pains with the youngsters in the middle of the pitch.
Up front, junior returning starter Alyssa DeOliveira is joined by one more freshman, Olivia Williams. DeOliveira, much in the vein of Abrams, is able to play anywhere on the field, the coach said. Of Williams, he added, she is in the process of grasping what it takes to play at the varsity level.
“Alyssa is our Swiss Army knife. She can play just about any position,” Pizza continued. “Olivia has impeccable form. She just needs to find that belief in herself because she has all the necessary skills.”
Two more senior assistant captains are in the playing mix. Jaime Sousa, injured earlier in the year, is a defender. Her return is to be determined, according to Pizzi. Kasey Playe is a forward. The remaining members of the EPHS roster could contribute depending on game situations, the coach added.
Despite the sluggish start, the Townies still have ample time to become a factor in the D-II ranks this fall. East Providence has 12 of 16 regular season games remaining. To qualify for the postseason, the locals must earn 19 points total. Right now, they have two from the ties. Teams earn three points for a win, one for a draw.
“I think we’re a bit behind where we hoped to be. We would have liked to have had at least one win by this point, however the two ties gave us an idea of where we need to improve,” Pizzi said. “I will say this, we’re a better today than we were yesterday, but not as good as we could be tomorrow. We haven’t reached our potential yet. We have room to grow. I still see us as a playoff team, but we need to come together as a group, as a family as I like to say.”

— Photos by Tyler Maxwell

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