Past heartbreaks aside, Cumberland girls break through and claim state soccer championship
PROVIDENCE — An early deficit was just one last obstacle for Cumberland to overcome.
The Clippers played this girls soccer season without the services of an All-American striker. Success like what they experienced on Saturday afternoon at Rhode Island College could only be achieved through a collective effort.
The school’s first championship in two decades arrived in style. Cumberland poured in three unanswered goals thanks to its class and precision, easing past Mt. Hope, 3-1, at Alumni Stadium.
“All I can say is finally,” senior midfielder Ava Normandin said. “This is amazing. I’ve been dreaming of this for four years.”
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The Clippers last broke through for a Division II crown in 2003. The ensuing 20 years included semifinal heartbreak and three finals setbacks — the most recent came against South Kingstown in 2019. There was no danger of that on this sunny afternoon, as Normandin and her fellow seniors capped a signature run.
“I don’t even have an answer for that,” senior striker Nicole Calle said, when asked for thoughts on the group’s legacy. “It’s just amazing. It’s great.”
Normandin delivered the winning goal in the 54th minute, a just reward for a player who had full command of the match throughout. She intercepted a clearance by the Huskies, waited an extra second while moving to her left and calmly stroked a left-footed shot inside the far post. That snapped a 1-1 tie and put Cumberland in firm control.
“There were two people — a wall, almost,” Normandin said. “Best bet was to take one more touch to get out of the way, and then I hit it.”
The Clippers added some insurance with 13 minutes to play, and it was Calle who set it up. She sliced through three Mt. Hope defenders down the left and cut a perfect cross back across the goal line. Paynter Maher was waiting at the far post to tap it in, and Cumberland simply ran out the remaining time on the clock.
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“We knew we were going to be good,” Cumberland coach John Hoxsie said. “We knew we were going to compete. But these girls showed up every single day and worked hard every single day. All the credit goes to them.
“Very talented group. All the leadership comes from the seniors. I couldn’t be happier for them.”
The two teams traded early goals just two minutes apart. Sara Nencka gave the Huskies (9-6-4) a 1-0 lead by chasing down a ball over the top from Hannah Rezendes, a pass that led to a simple right-footed finish. Ines Oliveira answered for the Clippers (17-0-2), calmly taking her own chance after Normandin strolled through the midfield and laid it off to her unmarked teammate.
“Sometimes we just need that wake-up call,” Normandin said. “Not all of us — a few of us, every now and then — come out here expecting something that might not always happen.
“Lights on. We flipped a switch.”
Cumberland closed on a nine-match winning streak after its second 1-1 draw with Mt. Hope. Those two ties were the only blemishes on what was a campaign for the ages. The Clippers rallied together without the services of Emma Kucal, the All-State selection who missed the season due to a left knee injury.
“Everybody did their jobs,” Hoxsie said. “Everybody fulfilled roles. That’s why we were successful.”
MT. HOPE (1): Sara Nencka; assist — Hannah Rezendes. CUMBERLAND (3): Ines Oliveira, Ava Normandin, Paynter Maher; assists – Normandin, Nicole Calle.
Halftime — 1-1. Saves — Emily Moran, MH, 6; Payton Goulding, C, 5.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cumberland beats Mt. Hope, 3-1, for girls state soccer championship
