Plucky Brookline Victoriously Closes Out Skyline Park Career

By Eliot Schickler

Warriors senior Jada Kimbro scored a late first-half goal off a corner kick to give the Brookline High girls’ soccer team a 1-0 home victory on senior day over Framingham High at Skyline Park on October 27.

“What happened in the play was that my mind was set on scoring, especially since it was senior night,” Kimbro said. “I really wanted to win for my team. I got the ball in the net because I wanted it badly and was focused on helping us win.”

The play was set up by classmate Eva Berkson, who took the corner kick from the left side of the field.

“I worked on corners a lot, and Jada did a great job of finishing,” Berkson said.

For most of the half, the game was a defensive struggle with Brookline, which had a slight edge in play, but struggled to find scoring opportunities before raising its record to 5-7-5. Therefore, getting this goal was big for the Warriors because they wanted to win their final game at Skyline Park. They already had two 0-0 stalemates this year at their South Brookline pitch.

“It felt really good to score that [goal],” Kimbro said. “I was happy I could help my team and the seniors win our last game at Skyline. Overall, I just felt really happy and excited.”

Senior tri-captain Mirabelle Keselman, who will be playing soccer for Division I North Dakota State University next year, anchored the defense, which kept the ball out of harm’s way for the most part,
and led to Brookline having a slight territorial edge. Keselman also took many booming free kicks, which helped the Warriors control the game.

Contributing on both ends of the pitch were senior tri-captains Julia Vianello and Elin Lindgren-Palm, along with classmate Lila Cannon, who helped Brookline on both ends of the field by executing their tackles in the backfield and pushing the ball towards the attack zone.

Classmates Amalia Lindgren-Palm and Priscila Hill deftly pushed the ball into the attack zone. They continuously attacked the net along with Kimbro and juniors Paige Hammond, Haley Ament, Juliana Segal, and Kaylee Co, along with sophomore Neve Keselman.

Juniors Jamie Magee, Hannah Greer, Alexa Lieberman-Wingerter, and Astrid Nigrovic, along with sophomore Rose Shorett, were strong in the backfield in protecting junior goalie Chloe Price, who was stellar between the pipes.

The Warriors came out strong in the second half, but the Flyers' freshman goalie Kayla Anderson made a few big saves to keep her team in the game. Framingham counterattacked, and the referees called a questionable penalty against Brookline in the 18-meter box.

Everything hinged on Price to be the heroine for her older Warrior teammates, and she came up clutch when she pushed away senior Ava Callahan’s shot to preserve her team’s 1-0 advantage.

“My mindset going into PKs is the idea that the striker is supposed to score,” Price said. “In reality, the pressure is on them to make their shot, and my job is just to try my best. Although there is always pressure to make the save, and especially not letting the seniors down on their night. I think that how we read PKs is a secret between goalkeepers, but it’s a lot about body language.”

Brookline Coach Ben Peters said, “I felt very hard done by with that PK call, but so relieved when Chloe came through in the clutch with a huge save to preserve our win.”

Knowing that she saved the day for the seniors was a special feeling for Price.

“It was an amazing way to be able to contribute to giving them a great senior night and to help our team’s confidence going into playoff season, as well as my own,” Price added.

Following the save, the Warriors continued to apply pressure, and Mirabelle Keselman boomed a shot into the net off a free kick from outside he box, but the Flyers weren’t ready yet because the referee didn’t blow the whistle. Instead, the future North Dakota State Bison sent a touch pass to Amalia Lindgren-Palm since Framingham was prepared for her shot, and its defense was able to neutralize the Warriors.

Nevertheless, Brookline emerged victorious and celebrated a happy Senior Day and making the seniors' last memory at Skyline Park a happy one.

“It felt really good to play with the seven other seniors, and it brought back a lot of memories,” Vianello said.

Mirabelle Keselman said, “It’s really sad because I didn’t think this chapter in my life would end so fast. I’m very happy we won, especially going into the playoffs.”

Elin Lindgren-Palm said, “I was extremely happy that we won on senior night because it set a good
tone for the rest of our season. Having played our final game at Skyline was sad, but I feel like we ended on a very high note. I want to shout out Chloe Price for single-handedly saving senior night with her amazing PK save.”

Kimbro said, “It was a sad moment for me, especially since I’ve played at Skyline for three years. Realizing this would be the last time I played an actual game there made me feel emotional. But it was also a sweet moment because I was proud of how far I’ve come and all the accomplishments I’ve had on the field.”

Berkson said, “It’s really sentimental to think about how many times I played at Skyline Park with my friends, and I’m happy to win my final game there.”

Hill said, “Senior night was pretty bittersweet overall. I am really happy to have gotten that last win at Skyline because it felt like the happy ending to so many years of highs on lows with Brookline soccer at Skyline. It reminded me that I not only do soccer for the love of the game but for the people I play with and have known for so long. Getting the win felt great, but most of my joy came from the feeling of playing with my friends whom I've known and loved for so long.”

“Us seniors have been playing together for so long that the game felt like one huge memory of all the good times I've had at Skyline over the years. I think what I'll remember the most is just how happy it makes me to go there each day after school for practice. It's as if all my problems go away during that drive over from school, and I get to spend time with the people I love playing the sport I love in a
relaxed context. I love all of Skyline's little quirks, but will mostly miss the atmosphere that we as a team have created over the years,” she added.”

Playing this year was a victory in itself for Hill because her four-year athletic career at Brookline in soccer and lacrosse had been marred by injuries, but despite these obstacles, she never gave up and
soldiered on. She missed her first two years of soccer and the first few weeks of her senior year, but with the support of those around her, she stuck with it.

“Every time I felt like quitting or like I would never be able to come back to my sports, I had my amazing parents, friends, and teammates to lift me up and motivate me to push through,” Hill
said. “I also think that being through one major injury prepares you for the recovery from subsequent ones because you know what to expect. Even though breaking my leg this past Spring, for example, was heartbreaking, I knew enough about injuries and recovery timelines to get on the front of my recovery and push through to play GVS again. Lastly, my love for the game has been a big motivator to continue to come back from injury. I always strive to get better and never wanted to end my soccer career from an injury because I knew I had the potential to be better if I put the work in. I can't imagine a life without soccer and would never be able to let something like an injury stop me from playing forever.”

Peters was happy with how his team played on Senior Day. He’s proud of the eight girls who represent the Class of 2026 on GVS and appreciates their contributions to the program.

“Winning on senior day was a great way for the seniors to end their high school career in a positive way,” he said. “This senior class has stepped up in a huge way this season with their on-the-field play and off-the-field support and encouragement for our younger and new players to keep the tradition of GVS going.”

Replacing the eight seniors from the 2024 squad, which was seeded fourth and reached the Division 1
semifinals two straight years, was a challenge. Anna Leschly (Dartmouth College), Sydney Freese (New York University), Vilena Tchernychev (Haverford College), Makena Hammond (Trinity College), Julia Churwin (University of Pittsburgh Club Team), Ashley Churwin, Babette Hall and Greta Radtke had great careers for the Warriors with four of them representing their colleges at the varsity level and a fifth one playing club soccer.

“It was definitely an adjustment to learn how to play without them, but we improved as the season progressed,” Mirabelle Keselman said.

Elin Lindgren-Palm said, “As a whole, I think we had a lot of ups and downs this season, especially because we lost so many key players who were seniors last year. Us seniors this year took a bit to adjust, but once we did, it was amazing to see all of us step into the leadership positions this year.”

Framingham dropped to 4-9-4 before ending the regular season at 5-9-4 with a 1-0 home victory over Waltham High on October 29. The Flyers are the 25th-seed in the Division 1 Tournament, and they will play at 8th-seeded Belmont High on Thursday, November 6, at 6 PM.

All 10 teams in the Bay State Conference are in the State Tournament, with nine making the
Division 1 playoffs, and Milton High earned the sixth-seed in the Division 2 playoffs with a 5-6-7 log.

Brookline carried its Senior Day momentum with a 2-1 triumph at vaunted Hopkinton High
(13-3-2) to finish the regular season at 6-7-5 and move up to the 13th-seed in the Division 1 tournament, leapfrogging over Hopkinton, which dropped to the 14th-seed. The Warriors host the 20th-seeded Westford Academy on November 4 at 1 PM at Parsons Field.

Amalia Lindgren-Palm and Paige Hammond scored for the Warriors against Hopkinton off corner kicks, with Berkson garnering the assist on both tallies by perfectly placing the ball.

“I hope to have a good playoff run,” Vianello said. “It’s a matter of how much you want to put it on the field. I’m really excited.”

Peters said, “The team looks positive and excited to go into the playoffs and make a long run.”