The girls’ soccer team at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy continued its remarkable display of defense last Friday, defeating the visiting Germantown Academy Patriots, 2-0.

Blue Devils senior Ryleigh Bakley scored once in each half as the Blue Devils raised their overall season record to 11-0, with every victory coming by shutout. Along the way, unscored-upon SCH has recorded a 3-0 win on the road against Episcopal Academy, the defending Inter-Ac League and Pa. Independent Schools champion.

The goalie at the heart of the Blue Devils’ shutout streak is senior Anna Qawasmy, who will sign with Youngstown (OH) State University.

Now 6-0 within the Inter-Ac, the Blue Devils had their closest contest at Penn Charter last month, edging the Quakers, 1-0. Friday’s match was the Devils’ second of the season against GA (7-5-1, 2-4-1 league); they knocked off the Patriots, 3-0, in their Inter-Ac opener back on Sept. 15. SCH still has not faced Agnes Irwin School; the teams are meeting for the first time this week.

Before Friday’s game at SCH, the GA Patriots had lost an Oct. 6 match at Penn Charter by a 2-0 score. Their last league victory had come at the end of September, when goals by sophomores Maggie Rink and Avery Bellano fueled a 2-1 overtime decision at the Academy of Notre Dame.

In their own Inter-Ac game on Oct. 6, Springside Chestnut Hill rolled over visiting Baldwin School, 7-0. It was the second 7-0 win in a row for the Blue Devils, who had thumped Hill School in a non-league bout the previous Friday.

In last week’s GA rematch, SCH senior Cali Smith, a University of Florida recruit, made her presence felt all over the field in the first half. She came back to help out on defense, transported the ball through the midfield, and also joined in on the attack. She helped set up the Blue Devils’ first goal, carrying the ball into the left side of the box and then prodding it into the middle.

Bakley, who’ll go on to play for Virginia Tech, settled the ball with her back to the goal and then pivoted to take a successful shot. SCH was on the board with 26:41 still remaining in the first half.

In the game overall, the damage could’ve been worse for GA if not for the performance of sophomore goalie Liv Smith. Smith is primarily a basketball player who already earned a lot of varsity minutes for the Patriots last winter.

When SCH keeper Qawasmy handled the ball at the other end, she didn’t clear it with a punt, but rather rolled it out to one of her backs so they could pass it up the field.

During the keeper’s shutout streak, the veteran defenders in front of her have often turned back opposing forwards before they could get off a shot.

“They’re mature and they’re experienced,” said first-year SCH head coach Norman “Boomer” Steigelman. “They listen, and they’re very coachable.”

Starting the second half with a 1-0 edge, Springside Chestnut Hill had Smith drive a hard shot from the left that angled just outside of the far post of the goal cage. GA’s Smith made diving saves to stop the next few SCH attempts.

Springside senior Alex de Beaulac, who’ll play college ball for the University of Virginia, made a few beautiful crosses from the right endline, but her teammates were not able to make contact in front of the goal.

The Blue Devils were awarded a direct kick from the middle of the 18-yard line about a dozen minutes into the second period. They got off a strong, well-aimed shot along the ground, but GA’s Smith made a diving save at the base of the left post.

Later on, the Patriots’ keeper made a high dive to stop a shot by Bakley. The SCH senior would eventually get a second goal, though, closing in on a loose ball off of a rebound to put her shot away. The match soon ended with a 2-0 victory for the home team.

So far, Steigelman has been impressed with the quality of play in the Inter-Ac.

“Penn Charter is strong and they really gave us a good run,” he said. “GA played us tough both times, and Episcopal was organized and you could tell they had good coaching. I’m glad we played strong [non-league] teams at the beginning of the season to help get us ready for this league.”