BY CLAIRE BREAN

The BHS Varsity Girls Soccer team earned a clutch win against the Tanners at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School on October 28th. They used the occasion to promote mental health awareness.

For the game, the Panther girls replaced their traditional uniforms with colors that represent mental health awareness. They wore neon green socks, purple shirts with neon lettering, and green hair ribbons.

“Our boosters made us shirts that say ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’ on the front and ‘Mental Health Matters’ on the back,” said BHS Senior Izzy Sullivan. “We wore these for the entirety of the school day and during our warmups as well.”

The campaign seemed to have made an impact, observed the players.

“People in school acknowledged our shirts,” Beverly senior captain Grace Fitzgerald said. “We also posted [photos of] the shirts to our Instagram and Facebook accounts, which have a pretty big community following.” 

The connection between mental health and competitive sports was not missed by team members.

“I think that every player can resonate with the Mental Health Awareness movement,” Sullivan said. “As athletes, we deal with a lot and the mental challenges we face aren’t always recognized”. 

Assisted by senior captain Izzy Sullivan, Grace Fitzgerald put the first goal of the game in the back of the net. In the second half, junior Jenna Schweizer capitalized on a rebounded shot, finishing into the bottom corner and securing the Panther’s lead. Beverly’s defense was able to shut down every Tanner opportunity, and Kayla Cimon had a phenomenal shutout in net. 

The Panthers and Tanners will face each other again, later in the season as a home game for Beverly. Nevertheless, they are savoring this victory.

“We really wanted this one”, Beverly Coach Sam Charest said. “We’re a team with a lot of heart and grit, and sometimes that’s what it takes to win games like these.”