Greenwich High School’s varsity girls soccer team began its 2026 season the way it ended its 2025 campaign – with a decisive win. The victory that capped the 2025 season – an impressive 4-0 win over Amity Regional in the CIAC Class LL Tournament final gave the Cardinals their first state title and put the finishing touch on an outstanding 18-2-2 season. Now, the Cardinals are aiming to produce another memorable season.

Win No. 1 for Greenwich, a 4-0 triumph against visiting Brien McMahon on September 8, got the season off on the right foot for the Cardinals, who return a strong and experienced group of athletes from last fall’s state championship squad.

Greenwich, which went 4-0 in the 2025 Class LL state tournament, outscoring its opponents, 9-0, in the process, brings a significant amount of momentum and confidence into the season after enjoying a storybook 2025 campaign.

“It was amazing seeing all of our hard work pay off finally and seeing the team come together at the end and work what we’ve been working for, for past years and all of last year,” said senior defender Shay Sippel, one of Greenwich’s three 2026 captains. “We’re exciting to work hard again this year.”

Sippel scored a goal in the Cards’ 4-0 win against Amity Regional in last season’s state title game, as did Kenna Harlow, a senior midfielder, who is also a 2026 captain. Harlow generated a goal for the Cardinals in its season-opening win versus Brien McMahon at sunny Cardinal Stadium and was pleased with what she saw from the squad as they kicked off the new season.

“I think it went well, I think we’ve been working really hard in preseason, but we’ve just got to keep going,” said Harlow, a 2025 All-FCIAC First Team selection. “We got the win today, but we’re not stopping now. We have to keep pushing and we have to get better as the season goes on.”

While Harlow will once again, help power the Cards in the midfield, senior defender/captain Ashley Morris returns to help Sippel fortify the defense, which was superb for GHS one season ago. Scoring was quite an issue for the opposition last season against Greenwich, which rolled to a regular season record of 12-1-2. The Cardinals only two losses came against St. Joseph, which edged them, 1-0, in the championship game of the 2025 FCIAC Tournament in a game decided in penalty kicks.

“It was great, we had a great season last year,” said Morris, a center back. “Going into this year we wanted to have a refreshing mind. We obviously, are the team to beat this year, so we have to reset and restart. We know that teams are coming for us. So, we have to play calm, play our ball and we’re looking for another win this season.”

Head coach Simon Rumbold, the architect of Greenwich’s soccer program, who is assisted by Erin Martschenko, knows the squad, while pleased about last year’s historic season, must concentrate on the task at hand. Indeed, Greenwich can’t rest on its laurels as it prepares to face the best teams the FCIAC has to offer.

“It was fantastic, but that was last year, so we have to focus on this year,” Rumbold said. “We have to get back and focus and build on some of the success we had the last few years, which is a challenge, because now everyone is out to get us.”

The Cardinals should be aided by the return of numerous athletes who experienced last season’s spirited state championship journey.

“We have a good amount of players from last season’s squad,” Rumbold noted. “We were blessed last year, especially with the freshman and sophomore class coming through. For them to have the experience they do now as sophomores and juniors is really key. We are trying to get the younger players and players stepping up from JV to where they need to be.”

In its season-opening win over Brien McMahon, Greenwich received one goal apiece from sophomore Siena Ettinger, junior Cameron Dionis, Harlow and senior Chloe Gandler. Ettinger, who earned 2025 All-FCIAC First Team honors, scored off an assist from sophomore Sophia Gega 7:44 into the first half, giving Greenwich a 1-0 lead.

In the 16th minute, Dionis tallied off a pass from senior forward Monchi Thompson, putting GHS ahead of the Senators, 2-0. Harlow converted a shot from eight yards out after controlling a pass from freshman Zoe Pogemiller, making it 3-0 in favor of the Cardinals in the 35th minute. Senior Chloe Gandler sealed the scoring, tallying off an assist from junior Tessa Addeo in the 76th minute for Greenwich’s fourth goal.

“We came out really quick,” Rumbold said of his squad’s play in the season-opener. “Based on what we did last year, teams are going to sit sometimes and try to defend against us. Brien McMahon is very well coached, very well organized and tough to break down.”

“In those moments where you get into their box, it’s about your quality and what you get combinations and attacking them, it’s about your quality and what you do high and we were able to do that, three, four, five times today, which was great to see,” Rumbold continued.

Said Morris of the Cards’ effort against McMahon: “We noticed how the left defense was dropping, so we were looking to swing it around to the left side. That was working for us. We like to adjust to how the other team is playing and look to swing it. If we don’t see any options, we swing it around and recycle it. Our way is to hold the ball and keep it. We don’t every force anything, but when we see it ahead, we go there.”

Sophomore Taylor Tierney made several saves to earn the win in goal for Greenwich. Junior Taylor DeVries, who started in goal last season and was, obviously, instrumental in the team’s great success, is sidelined with a knee injury, so Tierney will be relied upon to fulfill the goalkeeping duties this fall.

Ettinger, Gega, Harlow, senior Gabby Cimador and Pogemiller are among some of the athletes that should provide a spark up front for the Cardinals, while Morris and Sippel lead the defensive unit. Julia Gustafsson, Anna Lenschow and Ella Whitridge were the senior captains of the Cardinals’ 2025 state championship squad. Gustafsson and Lenschow received All-FCIAC First Team honors and senior Harriet Franks, who scored two goals in the Class LL state final, was an All-FCIAC Second Team selection.

Cimador, Gandler, Harlow, Morris, Caroline Ross, Emerson Shockley and Sippel are the team’s 2026 seniors and Addeo, Grace Bennett, Dionis, DeVries, Chloe Fuzesi, Hannah Fuzesi, Kat Giannakopoulous, Kayla Glass, Rowan Kelly, Maddie O’Gara, Lina Si-Ahmed and Polly Wells are juniors. Alex Anton, Ettinger, Gega, Chloe Kim, Carter Madden and Tierney are sophomores and Pogemiller is a freshman.

“It’s really amazing and I’m grateful to be a captain,” Sippel said. “I’m really excited for this season. Our goals are always to do as best as we can and go as far as we can. Also, completely starting over, this is a whole new year and we have to work towards that again. Just because what happened last year doesn’t mean anything is going to happen this year. So, we’re back to working hard and doing what we did.”

Greenwich visits Fairfield Ludlowe today (Sept. 10th), then travels to Fairfield Warde on Sept. 15. The Cardinals return home on Sept. 18 for a game against Ridgefield in a rematch of last season’s Class LL Tournament semifinals won by GHS, 1-0.

“I think all the teams are really strong,” Harlow said. “We have to be prepared for every game no matter who the team is. Ridgefield, St. Joe’s, Staples, New Canaan are going to be our biggest opponents, but everyone is a good game.”

As the defending state champion, Greenwich realizes it will receive the best from each of its opponents this fall.

“We felt it in the preseason,” Rumbold noted. “It’s a different feeling for the girls. We felt we would be very good last year and we had a chance to play really well. I think other teams were aware of it, but not the extent now. It’s going to be a good challenge.”