The Toll Gate girls soccer team was hungry entering the 2024 season after being elevated to Division II after a highly-successful run in DIII.

The Titans won DIII championships in 2020 and 2022, then returned to the finals last season. Toll Gate sought the move up the past few seasons and was excited to finally get the opportunity.

With a young roster, one that at times featured up to four freshmen starters, Toll Gate didn’t skip a beat as it finished the season with a 10-7-2 record while qualifying for the quarterfinals. The fifth-seeded Titans ran into No. 1 Prout and the Crusaders would wrap up the 3-0 shutout win.

The game was scoreless at halftime, but Prout wasted little time jumping ahead early in the second half as it scored a goal then got another on a penalty kick inside the first 11 minutes. The Crusaders added one final goal late to secure the win.

Toll Gate was led by senior keeper Alanna Pereira, who finished the day with 17 saves.

“We gave up the first goal and then the penalty kick, that made it tough. Unfortunately, we do not have a ton of offensive firepower, we’re very good defensively and have been in every game this year. We moved some players around to try to shut down their players and I think we did that. We’ve just got to find ways to score goals. We’re not going to shut everyone out,” said Toll Gate coach Bob Enright after the loss.

Although the Titans had their sights set on a deep run in the postseason, the future looks bright for this emerging club.

The team’s leading scorer was freshman Emma McIntyre, who burst on the scene with 21 goals this season. Toll Gate will also be bringing back a strong junior core including Shinyu Vega, Ava Ficher, Stella-Blue Kraus, Madison Gautieri and Addison O’Rourke. Freshmen contributors Kaylee Steele-Younger and Emerson Fallow will also be in the mix to help the Titans build with largely the same lineup. Graduating will be Pereira and Ava Marrocco.

Enright was proud of his young roster’s competitiveness this season as it looks to make DII its home for the long-term.

“We had a lot of freshmen in there and they’re not used to this. But for us to move up from DIII, move on (to the quarters), we were right there with them. We battled but it just wasn’t our day,” Enright said. “If you have an amazing goalie, that will keep you in every game. This program the past six seasons has known nothing but success. Most of these girls that came back were ready for DII and they had the desire to prove to people that they were better. They did that, it was another 10-win season. We’re here to stay. I’m proud of these girls, they wanted to prove themselves and they accomplished that.”