Though Townsend Harris High School’s varsity soccer teams saw an end to their season in late October, seniors Tiarnan Mathers and Dina Goodger had the opportunity to participate in the annual PSAL Girls and Boys Soccer Exceptional Senior Game at Francis Lewis High School.
Held on November 22, this match between the five boroughs was nothing short of the ultimate All-Star Game. To even be considered for this game is a major privilege.
A panel of committee members and coaches who meet and hand-pick a number of players from each borough made the selection. They look at the play of players from the past four years, as well as attitudes on and off the field. The actual soccer game is played between conjoined teams from the Bronx and Manhattan and from Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. This year, Tiarnan and Dina were both among 17 players selected from Queens.
Reflecting on this accomplishment, Tiarnan said, “I feel honored to be picked as one of the top players in the city, and I’m very excited to go out on the field and give everything I got, but at the same time, I’m nervous, because not only am I playing in a very important game, I’m playing against the rest of the top players.”
Similarly, Dina acknowledged, “It really is a huge honor to even be considered to play in this game.
“Being picked out of all the amazing talent amongst PSAL is exciting and humbling. I enjoyed playing in this game because I’ve always liked the fast-paced tempo of soccer. Going up against some of the top players in the city was a great opportunity and it reminded me of club-style playing.”
After the game, Dina felt that “the competition level was refreshing and a good challenge.”
“Even though we lost, it was really fun and I enjoyed meeting and playing with the girls on my team. Going into the game was nerve wracking because no one wants to make a mistake that leads to a goal.
“I was really nervous too, but like any game once you start playing the nerves go away and you focus on the game,” she added.
The Hawk pride seen in this year’s Exceptional Senior Game is certainly something to commend our representatives on. Despite the girls match resulting in a loss, the team Tiarnan partook in was able to come through with a hard-earned win.
No matter what the result, the participation of Tiarnan and Dina concluded their high school soccer careers in the most upstanding way possible.
