Episcopal Academy Overpowers Short-Handed Baldwin in 7–0 Win

On a crisp Friday afternoon at Baldwin’s home field, the tone of the game was set early — not by the scoreboard, but by the lineup sheet. The Baldwin School took the field without its two junior co-captains, striker Makena Lee and defender Kyla Walker, both sidelined by injury. Against undefeated Episcopal Academy, the Inter-Ac League leaders, the absence of Baldwin’s most experienced and vocal players proved decisive.

By the final whistle, Episcopal had cruised to a 7–0 victory, showing the form of a team destined for the league title. Baldwin, meanwhile, fell to 10–8-1 overall and 2–8 in league play, but left the pitch with the grit and resilience of a young team continuing to learn its identity.

“We are not the same team without our two junior co-captains,” said Baldwin head coach Adrian Cox afterward. “Makena is our leading scorer and Kyla is a veteran leader of the backline. With such a young team — eight freshmen and four sophomores playing significant minutes — our juniors provide a lot of guidance and direction on the field, and we were missing that today.”

Despite the lopsided scoreline, Baldwin opened with an organized defensive shape, keeping Episcopal in check for much of the first half. Episcopal’s quick passing and constant pressure eventually broke through for two goals before halftime, but Baldwin’s commitment to team defense — shifting, tracking, and closing down space — kept them within striking distance.

The second half, however, was a different story. Episcopal’s depth and attacking precision wore Baldwin down, turning defensive clearances into second-chance opportunities. The visiting Churchmen punished nearly every miscue, scoring five times after the break to put the game away.

Cox credited Episcopal’s execution as much as his own team’s fatigue. “EA is strong all over the field in every position,” he said. “It looks like they’ll win the league title this season.”

The standout for Baldwin was junior goalkeeper Anaka Boyd-Volz, who faced a relentless barrage and made 26 saves. Her composure and reflexes kept the scoreline from ballooning even further.

“Anaka was solid in goal and we need to do a better job of protecting our final third and limiting shots on goal and crosses in the box,” Cox said. “When you face a team with that kind of attacking depth, your goalkeeper has to be brave and sharp, and she was both.”

The loss capped a grueling stretch for Baldwin — three Inter-Ac games in four days — a schedule that would test even the healthiest roster. Still, Cox emphasized perspective and process over results.

“We just have to keep learning from every game and do our best to prevent making the same mistakes in our final two games,” he said. “The players are maintaining a good attitude and working hard and staying united. That’s important when you’re not getting results. Hopefully we can get healthy and have a full lineup to finish the season strong.”

Baldwin now turns its attention to its next matchup — a home contest against Penn Charter on Tuesday, October 28 — as the program looks to finish the regular season on a positive note.

Cox’s final message to his team was simple but heartfelt. “It’s important we play with a smile,” he said. “Play hard, relax on the ball, make good decisions, and press when we don’t have it. I’m not worried about the scoreboard right now — it’s about finding joy in competing and learning together.”