At the final whistle, the Huskies mobbed eighth grader Bella Giangrasso with the intensity they showed the entire match. Highland’s goalkeeper made only one save in her second straight shutout, and the offense did the rest. Nine players combined for 10 goals in the decisive win over Ellenville.

“[Giangrasso] is doing really well. She’s stepping up to the task, but she has a wonderful defense in front of her, a wonderful midfield, and everybody really helped out. It’s definitely a team effort,’ said coach Becca Palmatier.

The goal by Highland’s lone senior, Ava Acampora, was followed within 30 seconds for Husky nets eight and nine. The final flurry of Highland scoring came from the dual midfield threats of Raquel Marreiros and Gabriella Gemmell. Marreiros scored two goals, and Gemmell scored one. Freshman Isla Kenny sprang from the bench to bolster the lead, tallying a goal and an assist. Sadie Hollifield also scored one of the seven first-half goals for Highland.

Kaylee Arciulo did too, and was instrumental in charging Ellenville’s spots of momentum. The number two jersey consistently pushed Blue Devils off the ball, keeping pressure off Highland’s defensive half.

Allie Secor, Highland’s ninth scorer, rounded out the rout with her first of the season. She also tallied an early assist. The scoreboard, working overtime from the first whistle, sat unchanged through the final twenty minutes of the match. Ellenville nearly pushed through, with Angelina Rodriguez forcing a shot straight to Giangrasso’s palms. It stood as her only save. Ellenville’s goalkeepers combined for 16 saves.

“We’ve been on the receiving end of 10-0. I think having gone through those team struggles together, they share that bond,” said Palmatier.

Highland closed the previous slate with a 3-0 victory over Rhinebeck on September 12. For this Huskies crew that’s spent seasons together, there is no lead too comfortable, nor a week long enough. “We had three games last week, so they were definitely feeling it by Friday, but as they always do, they took care of business,” said Coach Becca Palmatier. “We had our players come out, and they were passing and doing what needed to be done. This year is their year to finish, and they’ve been able to do that.”

Giangrasso fended off each of Rhinebeck’s second-half attacks, as Highland’s trio of goals made the difference then. Against Ellenville, the Huskies went to halftime with a seven-goal cushion and energy abound for more.

As marked by their second dominant win over Ellenville in September, the Huskies pour on the scoring and come fast on the postgame breakaway towards their goal. They relish in retrieving Giangrasso, who has come up huge in her first varsity season.