NOBLESVILLE — A few days after severe floods ravaged the area, the high school girls soccer match between Noblesville and Cathedral brought temporary normalcy to a community still reeling from devastation that was left behind.
The Millers and Fighting Irish capped off their 80 minute battle with a 1-1 tie in the season opener for both teams on Monday.
“A lot of them have friends that have been affected and so just being able to go to school, being able to get back on the field, it helps feel like life is good again,” said Noblesville coach Mitchell Holden. “Obviously, tough times still going on in Noblesville, but I think our girls were excited to play for a minute and so we were happy to just get out here and compete, play a very good team.”
The Millers were watching film when they got the news that school was closed on Friday morning. Over the next few days, flood waters submerged the Hamilton County community. It was a gut punch. The kind of blow that community members still feel with recovery efforts ongoing.
Rain canceled Noblesville’s planned scrimmage before the storms canceled the Millers’ original season opener against Homestead on Saturday.
“It was so good because two of our games have gotten flooded out so we couldn’t even play,” said Noblesville freshman goalie Rachel Castor. “So, it’s good that we can play for our community and show them how much better we’ve gotten.”
Castor was the last line of defense for a Cathedral team that operated with sophomore standout Saige Usher leading the attack. Castor fended off most darts that came her way in the box. At the 30-minute mark, the ball went over her hands and traveled behind her before she chased it down and prevented it from crossing the scoring line, using one hand to keep the sheet clean.
“Last year we struggled a bit in the goalkeeping position and that was no secret to anybody and so big shoes for her to fill and step in,” Holden said. “I just thought she was very vocal. She was directing the backline. Happy with her performance today.
“She got one great hit that she couldn’t save but I thought when she was called upon, she made the right decision. She made big saves and she did a great job.”
Coming out of halftime, Cathedral junior Brooklyn Nickols unleashed a towering shot over Castor, who leaped with arms fully extended, only for it to get past her fingertips and sink into the net.
After that strike in the 47th minute, Noblesville junior forward Corynn Fleck found the ball from a free kick and tapped it past Cathedral’s defense for the equalizer seven minutes later.
“That kids got such a chip on her shoulder,” Holden said. “She’s so fun to watch. She plays like a little bulldog on the field. She plays so hard, but she’s just great getting in position and putting herself in, sometimes, a position to be lucky; what you kind of saw today. When she’s there, she finishes and that’s why she’s in that spot.”
Both backlines held up in crunch time. The clock bled out in the final 26 minutes, and the scoreboard sat frozen at 1-1. Each team traded near-misses but couldn’t produce a defining moment.
There was no clear winner, but the Millers got to scratch their competitive itch, while the Fighting Irish found early production. A year removed from losing to Cathedral, 2-0, and days removed from an unrelenting storm that prevented them from seeing the field, the Noblesville girls soccer team were showing heart at a time when community members are rising above the aftermath of the recent flood.
Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at the IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com , and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 'Helps feel like life is good again.' Noblesville soccer opens season after heavy floods