Stuttgart’s Ayana Gomez blocks a shot from Ramstein’s Isabel Fischer on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at the DODEA European Division I girls soccer championships at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Claire Boynton scoffed at the idea that she looked like a spinning blonde top for brief moments during the DODEA European Division I girls soccer championship game.
But the results of moves designed to free her up to score were no laughing matter for Stuttgart.
Boynton scored three times and the Royals reclaimed their place as Europe’s girls soccer royalty with a 4-1 victory over the Panthers.
“It’s just a lot of practice and a lot of repetition,” Boyton said of her twirling steps that twice freed herself from Stuttgart defenders to launch shots from about 20 yards away and into the net. “There’s a little bit of luck in it, I guess, but we work a lot on different drills in practice, so when it happens in a game, we’ll be ready.”
And the Royals were indeed ready, with Kayla Groat putting the ball into the net less than a minute into the contest. Boynton then took a pass from right winger Isabel Fischer to put Ramstein up 2-0.
Stuttgart cut the deficit in half on Leeba Curlin’s goal and trailed 2-1 at halftime. But Boynton spun around just outside the penalty area to shake a defender and give her team more breathing room.
The teams then traded a series of decent scoring opportunities, but none of them resulted in goals before Boynton struck again late in the contest to seal the victory.
Stuttgart's Madeleine Fleming, left, and Ramstein's Kayla Groat battle for the ball Thursday, May 23, 2024, at the DODEA European Division I girls soccer championship game at Ramstein High School in Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein's Claire Boynton tries to create some space to operate from Stuttgart's Ayana Gomez on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at the DODEA European Division I girls soccer championships at Ramstein High School in Germany. Boynton scored three times in a 4-1 victory. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Stuttgart's Serenity Brown boots the ball away from Ramstein's Olivia Davis in the championship game of the DODEA European Division I girls soccer tournament Thursday, May 23, 2024, at Ramstein High School in Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein freshman goalie Bailey Bennett didn’t make many saves, but several were key in keeping the Panthers from gaining any momentum.
“My mom told me to go into beast mode, so that’s what I did,” Bennett said. “I wanted my teammates to know that I’d be there to back them up.”
Stuttgart assistant coach Chris Kelly said the match just didn’t go according to plan.
“They definitely took advantage of their opportunities,” Kelly said. “They have an incredible front line. If we were going to be successful, I think we’d have to have limited some of those opportunities.”
