(L to R) Franklin Towne Charter’s Stef Ulmer and Philadelphia Academy Charter’s Michaela Corcoran battle for a loose ball. FTC won the game 3–1 at Northeast High School on Wednesday, May 23. Ulmer scored all three goals.
Kevin Cook / for the Times
Considering that the Franklin Towne Charter girls’ soccer season had already bulldozed past historic status into storybook territory, nobody was ready to see it end just yet.
So when the Coyotes bowed out last week, all that was left to do was reflect on a brilliant year and look forward to next season. Considering that most of the team’s young talent will return, 2013 can’t get here soon enough.
Towne’s Public League title season ended on May 30 with a 4–1 loss in the first round of the state playoffs. After the Coyotes knocked off Central on May 16 to end the Lancers’ 117-game Public League winning streak, Towne again vanquished Central on May 25 to win the school’s first Public League soccer title.
From there, it was on to the first round of states to face Berks County’s Fleetwood High School. Fleetwood, behind a more experienced roster, was too much for Towne to handle. The Coyotes kept it close with a 1–0 halftime deficit but ultimately fell, 4–1.
However, Towne never backed down.
“My players played their hearts out until the final whistle,” head coach Brianna O’Donnell said. “It was nice to see them give one hundred percent even when our chance for victory was gone.”
The highlight of the game for Towne came from Stefanie Ulmer, who, along with Rachel Gilborges, formed a two-headed sophomore scoring monster for the Coyotes this season. Ulmer scored a beautiful breakaway goal in the second half, the first ever state playoff goal for Towne. Above all, the team gained some much-needed experience in the state playoffs.
“The future looks bright for Franklin Towne Soccer,” O’Donnell said. “I am very excited for the competition we will face in the fall.” ull;•
