Second half comeback sees Sturgis East girls soccer beat Mashpee in Preliminary Round

EDITORS NOTE: Because of a reporting error on B3 in Saturday Times paper, the names of two players were misspelled in this story. Charlotte Westberg and Elena Nardone play for Sturgis East 

MASHPEE — “It’s not over until it’s over” is perhaps the biggest cliché in sports, but clichés are what they are because of the truth behind them. That was certainly the case for No. 36 Sturgis East, as the Storm upset the No. 29 Mashpee Falcons 2-1 on the road to advance to the MIAA Division 4 Round of 32.

The win came after the Storm scored twice in the second half, to overturn a 1-0 Falcons lead over the final 40 minutes.

The win was the Storm's first appearance in the postseason for more than a decade, and certainly a first for this generation of players. When the final whistle blew, the excitement from the players was tangible. Head coach Chelsea Emerson said that, while she is excited and proud of her team, her overarching feelings were slightly different.

"I feel more calm than anything," Emerson said. "I feel this kind of calm urgency to show them you are getting what you deserve, and that's it. Yes, I'm excited, but I'm fulfilled."

She's in her second year as head coach after first being an assistant. Part of the reason she has that measured approach now is because she saw this coming years ago.

"This started two years ago," Emerson said. "We had a different head coach, I joined the coaching staff, and he and I both knew the potential they had. They had a lot of skills, but they were young players."

In her eyes this has been meant to be the inevitable result of a multi-year process. The team has largely been the same the last three seasons. The Storm only graduated three seniors combined across each of the last two seasons, so the camaraderie is there, as is the tactical understanding on the field.

For this year's seniors, this season has meant more than any other, and Isabella Spooner, a senior striker who scored the Storm's equalizing goal, said getting to this point in her final season is particularly sweet.

"This year, in particular being my senior year, it's so much more special that we're at this point." she said.

Before the Storm could equalize, they had to fall behind, and they did so with just under five minutes to go in the first half. Izzy Almeida opened the scoring for the Falcons, and Emerson immediately responded by calling timeout.

The time was spent equally between tactics and motivation, but she made one thing clear to her team in that sixty seconds.

"I said it's not over, not even close," Emerson said.

Though the Storm went into halftime down 1-0, the belief was there, and five minutes into the second half, Spooner got Sturgis East on the board. Fellow senior Abby Jarvis said after the game that the timeout was the difference.

"It changed so much, you could tell in the last five minutes of the first half," Jarvis said. "We started playing so much better, communicating more, our passes were a lot smoother. You could tell we wanted it a lot more."

Spooner and Jarvis are part of Sturgis East's senior core that also includes Alyssa Gomes, Ellie McLaughlin, Elena Nardone, and Charlotte Westberg. There are six in total, all of whom have been key for the Storm.

"This year, especially us being seniors, the six of us, I think it was just a different type of energy," Spooner said. "These past three years that this specific group has played together we've totally transformed this team."

It's not hyperbole, nor is it arrogant. The class has been instrumental in the evolution of the program, and critical to the success this season, and in this win.

Spooner's goal inspired her team. With momentum on their side, the Storm continued to push for the winner. After a first half spent primarily defending, the Storm were able to create a foothold in the second half.

"I think really the second half is our game," Spooner said. "Our energy is just there. Especially in this game and our last game, our energy has been there and we wanted it more than the other team, and today I think that really showed."

The pressure paid off 16 minutes after they tied the game. The Storm took the lead when Westberg had the final touch before the ball was deflected in.

The fact that the Storm were able to build off of their first goal is a testament to both the team's resiliency and their belief. Emerson said after the game that her team thrives off the confidence boost.

"A goal always builds confidence, and we're very much a team that rides on that," Emerson said. "Once we have that equalizer, (we can say) okay we're good, and you start playing more as a team."

Another cliché in sports is, "act like you've been there before," and the calmness Emerson felt is reflective of that principle. It's one thing to think you have a chance to do something, it's another to know you will.

She always knew her team could do this, it's only just now playing out.

André Simms covers high school sports for the Times. Contact him at asimms@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @that1guyandre.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Sturgis East girls soccer win playoff opener over Mashpee