The 2025 season just keeps getting better and more exciting for Greenwich High School’s varsity girls soccer team, which is in the midst of one of its most successful seasons ever with only two games remaining in the regular season.

Through 13 games, the Cardinals sport a sparkling record of 10-2-1, good for 32 points in the competitive FCIAC, which puts them in first place – position they haven’t been in for quite some time this late in the season. New Canaan also has a 10-1-2 mark and 32 points, but Greenwich was victorious against New Canaan at Cardinal Stadium, 4-3, on Sept. 15, so the Cardinals have the tiebreaker edge on the Rams for first place in the conference.

Greenwich continued its winning ways when it hosted FCIAC opponent Westhill High School Oct. 10th on Senior Day at Cardinal Stadium. Behind three first-half goals, Greenwich registered an impressive 4-0 Senior Day win over the visiting Vikings for victory No. 9 on the season.

It was a quick turnaround for the Cardinals following their victory over Westhill, as it hosted FCIAC rival Darien on Oct. 11 at 9:30 a.m. – a Homecoming Day game for GHS. The Cards took over first place in the FCIAC by edging visiting Darien, 3-2, at Cardinal Stadium, improving their record to 10-1-2 in the process. Coached by Simon Rumbold, the Cardinals are on pace to earn the No. 1 seed in the FCIAC Tournament and host a quarterfinal-round game.

“It’s been great so far,” Rumbold said of his squad’s standout season. “Coming into the season, we had expectations, we all saw the potential we had. The group so far, has performed really well. They’ve been picking up what we’ve been doing in practice and we’ve been trying to play the way we like to play, so it’s been going well.”

“Even the games that we tied and the one that we lost, we had a chances, so it’s been great so far,” said Rumbold, who pointed to the team’s chemistry has one of its positive characteristics. “The continuity from last year has been impressive,” Rumbold said. -“Last year, we were starting six sophomores at one point and a couple of freshmen – we were really young last year. The preseason last year, we were trying to set things and it was new, this year, they came in knowing, so that has allowed us to work on other parts and it’s starting to come to fruition.”

Greenwich’s shutout win against Westhill marked its sixth clean sheet of the season, as it excelled defensively, once again. During their 13 games so far this fall, the Cards have scored 40 goals, while yielding only 11. 

“We’ve worked really, really hard,” said Ella Whitridge, a senior captain who has helped pace Greenwich’s defensive effort. “Every single practice we go 100 percent and I think the team chemistry this year is different than it has been in the past. We all support each other a lot and that makes a difference. We’ve worked really well together.”

In the Cardinals’ convincing triumph against Westhill, senior forward Kayla Townsend, senior forward Harriet Franks, sophomore Tessa Addeo and senior Madi Utzinger scored one goal apiece to lead the squad’s offensive performance.

Senior Day was indeed, celebrated in style by GHS, which entered halftime with a 3-0 lead on the Vikings.

Take leads on the opposition has been the norm so far this season for Greenwich, which is accustomed to playing from in front.

“It feels so amazing, our chemistry on and off the field has been great,” said GHS senior captain/defender Julia Gustafsson, a mainstay on the Cards’ backline since her freshman season. “We’ve included a lot of new players and Greenwich has not done this well, so leading the team has been such a cool experience.”

It was another feel-good win for the Cardinals, who saw everyone get on the field on their special Senior Day.

“Getting everyone to play was a big part of it and making sure everyone got a chance to show what they got,” Gustafsson noted.

Franks, who has helped power Greenwich’s offense throughout the season, scored the Cardinals’ first goal against Westhill. She converted a shot with 21:07 remaining in the first half. Addeo, also a threat throughout the season, tallied in the 25th minute, angling her shot from the left side to the far right corner of the goal, making it 2-0 in favor of GHS.

Townsend added a first-half goal for the hosts, who possessed the ball the majority of the matchup.

Junior Gwendolyn Harte assisted on Townsend’s tally.

“She set me up with a good pass and I just kicked it into the corner,” Townsend said of her goal. “It worked out great.”

Senior Day is one of the games the team always has its sights set on.

“It was really nice, I love participating on Senior Day with everyone on the field,” Townsend noted. “It felt really nice.”

Utzinger capped the Cardinals’ scoring versus Westhill with a goal in the matchup’s closing seconds – a memorable moment for the senior.

“It was really nice, it was Senior Night and it was really nice to score,” Utzinger said. “It was my first goal ever for Greenwich soccer, so it was very nice. It’s very nice to be a part of the program. The coaches have developed us. I started out on the freshman team and then sophomore year with Simon for the rest. It’s a very good community, we are all really close and we all stay together, so it’s very nice.”

Greenwich’s victories so far this season have come against Fairfield Ludlowe, Wilton, Bridgeport Central, New Canaan, Staples, Danbury, Stamford Norwalk, Westhill and Darien. Their lone loss came to St. Joseph, a tough 1-0 decision at Cardinal Stadium on Sept. 5. Trumbull played GHS to a 2-2 tie and the Cardinals dueled Ridgefield to a 1-1 draw. Sophomore Taylor DeVries and senior Maria Levchenko have flourished as goalies throughout Greenwich’s highly successful season.

Therefore, Greenwich hasn’t lost a game in more than one month and is riding an 11-game unbeaten streak.

“It’s been a lot of fun this season, especially, because since we’re seniors we get to be an influence to the underclassmen,” said Cardinals senior captain Anna Lenschow, who has helped solidify the midfield position. “This season especially, we have a lot of freshmen, so it’s nice to have them be part of our team and bring them up and show them what it means to be on the Greenwich girls soccer team.”

Greenwich’s 10 seniors in alphabetical order are: Harriet Franks, Julia Gustafsson, Anna Lenschow, Maria Levchenko, Leda Lindsay, Caitlin McConnell, Kayla Townsend, Madi Utzinger, Ella Whitridge and Madeline Young.

“It was awesome,” Rumbold said of Senior Day. “Having 10 seniors, some kids who have been together since 8-United, it’s special. We celebrated them tonight, but hopefully, we’ll have more good times to come in the next month or so.”

Another good time for the team came on Oct. 11 when it posted a 3-2 triumph against Darien in another fine effort. Up next for Greenwich is a home game against Fairfield Warde tomorrow (Oct. 14) at 4:30 p.m.

The Cardinals will then visit Brien McMahon Friday (Oct. 17) for a 6 p.m. matchup.

The FCIAC Girls Soccer Tournament is scheduled to begin on Oct. 21 with the quarterfinal-round taking place. Greenwich will host a quarterfinal-round game.

“I’m really happy to be part of the team and I think we have a really good shot this year at winning the whole thing,” Townsend said.