FITCHBURG -- Suffice it to say, the group of young women representing Fitchburg High School on the soccer pitch aren't like past incarnations; this isn't your older sister's FHS girls' soccer team, it's not your mom's FHS girls' soccer team. Long gone are the blowout defeats that came from being a first-year squad with that "new program smell" all the way back in 1993, and there is a certain swagger about them in this halcyon autumn that just screams come at us, see what happens.
Fitchburg captured its seventh consecutive win on the bounce and its 10th without a defeat thanks to a pair of Class of 2029 goal scorers en route to posting its seventh clean sheet with a 2-0 victory over visiting Gardner at Crocker Field Thursday evening.
With the win, Fitchburg improves to 9-1-1 and qualifies for the postseason for only the second time in school history, the last time being in the Fall of 2019 when future FHS Athletic Hall of Famer Elle Scott punished opposing defenses. Thursday's triumph also marked a tie of the program's wins in a season mark, also set six years ago.
The famous Red and Gray will look to break the glass ceiling and go where no FHS girls' soccer team has gone before -- the double digit win plateau -- when it travels to Worcester to take on Worcester Tech Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.
Gardner, which drew the Raiders, 1-1, at Watkins earlier this season, fell to 2-4-3.
Fourth-year FHS gaffer Chris Kitchin was undeniably ecstatic with the special victory.
"They're the real deal. They've turned a lot of heads in this state," Kitchin said before the girls broke into a chorus of Happy Birthday for freshman Akira Padilla, who celebrated her quinceñera Thursday. "The poll comes out and they're on it. The fact they know all these girls' names, it's telling you something."
"Getting down by a goal this season has been tough for us," said longtime GHS bench boss Pete Gallant. "I thought we did better in the second half; we possessed better. But (Fitchburg) is a good defensive team; they're strong in the back; they're physical; and it's hard to get a shot off them. You have to be perfect to beat them."
After withstanding some early pressure by the Wildcats, it was Fitchburg who went up a goal to nil midway through the 11th minute, courtesy a thunderbolt from freshman wunderkind striker Kiara Llapa.
As the action tilted the plastic pasture toward the River Street end, Llapa found herself in the center channel with the ball on the left foot. Her first touch was a devastating-yet-silky swipe to get it onto her right, and from a stride outside of the penalty area, unleashed a vicious terror strike of a finish that she tucked in at the far post for her eighth goal of the season.
"She has great ball control," Kitchin said of the freshman. "She has a high soccer IQ; all of these kids do, and the cohesion is what matters.
"Some of the plan has been to draw the other side into our half and rely on our defenders and our goalkeepers. And the defense puts the offense in the right place to succeed."
Fitchburg had several more chances before the interval to pad its lead, but GHS’ defending and goalkeeper Andrea Leger (five saves) kept things at a goal to nil. Llapa and senior striker Mia Robertson had chances to dent twine, and after FHS senior centerback Rory Cannon denied Gardner’s second corner service in the 38th minute, Lyla Kherallah’s deep volley from the flank was Fitchburg’s next best opportunity to give the hosts separation.
Kherallah certainly made her next opportunity count.
After dispossessing the Wildcats in the midfield, the freshman drove in and was fouled 30 yards from goal. She got up, brushed off the crushed rubber from her legs, then buried a direct free kick to the Upper 90 to give the Red Raiders a two goals to nil cushion early in the 49th minute.
"Had (the officials allowed advantage) not pulled it back, she would have buried it from 25," Kitchin said. "Normally when (Kherallah) touches it, it's going to be on net, or punishing either way."
Fitchburg's Ella Kitchin, who plays in a platoon with junior keeper Shae-lyn Smith, had the save of the night five minutes from full time as she stopped Chelsea Egeland's side-footer from point-blank range. Four minutes later, FHS left back Arianna Louissaint was brilliant in tracking back to dispossess and effectively deny Gardner's last gasps.