By Sapna Pathak
Staff Writer

Every team has a hump it must get over and the Cawley Middle school girls' soccer team is no different.

This year, the girls finally got over their hump, winning the 2005 Tri-County Class M Championship after advancing to the big game the past two years and losing.

For the Hawks' three team captains, the end of the season couldn't have been more fitting. Eighth-graders Lindsay Johnson, Dani Ithier and Tanya Robidoux said they loved the way their middle school soccer careers ended as champions.

After winning the 2005 Tri-County girls soccer championship, the Cawley Middle School Hawks – led by eighth-grade tri-captains Lindsay Johnson (left), Dani Ithier (right) and Tanya Robidoux – earned celebrity status in school. (Sapna Pathak Photo)

"(Winning the championship) was something we talked about all year since the first practice," said first-year head soccer coach Ken McKiernan. "They told me how disappointing it was the last two years and we knew what our goal was."

According to the captains, the locals played with tremendous focus throughout the season, compiling a 10-1-1 regular-season record.

The Hawks were a very offensive- minded group, trailing for only 35 minutes of the season. They'd either been tied or leading for almost every minute of action, McKiernan said.

Although his club was set on claiming the crown, McKiernan still took a lighter approach with his players. He didn't want them talking about the championship so much that they'd become distracted.

Many of the girls played together on soccer teams outside school, allowing for year-round play. McKiernan said he was lucky the athletes had so much practice time, competing for so many teams.

Two years ago, Cawley lost to Hampstead in the finals after splitting the two-game season series. Last season, the locals lost to Bow, 4-0, after beating the opposition both times during the regular campaign.

This year, things were different. Cawley beat Raymond twice during the season before completing the sweep with a 5-2 triumph in the championship.

Robidoux said her team, more than anything, wanted to win this year for all the players who previously came so close.

The road to victory wasn't easy, as the girls battled some butterflies along the way.

Robidoux said she was nervous going into the playoffs. It was hard not to let thoughts of the past two years creep into her mind, she added.

The team faced a tough opponent in Hampstead in the semifinals and won, 2-0.

Against Raymond, McKiernan was confident his team could score, alleviating some of the pressure.

The head coach was right.

Johnson provided one goal and Ithier came up with two scores in the first half. The girls scored all five of their goals before halftime, but continued to apply pressure in the second stanza.

"Those last two minutes were forever," Robidoux said. "I kept asking the refs, 'How long? How long?' ... I was pretty paranoid until the end."

When the end finally arrived, the ear-to-ear smiles of the girls said it all and showed just how special this year was for every player.

"You keep things as light as possible," McKiernan said of his approach. "(If) there's not too much pressure on them, we'd be all right. That last week (in the playoffs), we worked out hard, practiced hard, and we played our best to win it."