The varsity girls soccer teams at Bishop Stang and Dartmouth High had two chances to compete this past week. Last Saturday, things ended with a 0-0 tie. But the Spartans came alive during their rematch on Sept. 15 with a 3-0 victory.

“We scored at 4 minutes and 23 seconds, and it set the whole tone for the game,” said Amie Roach, an assistant coach at Bishop Stang.

She said part of the challenge of going head-to-head against the Indians is the “mental game,” or the fear of losing to their rivals.

“It usually comes in the middle of the year, so everyone psychs themselves out for it,” said Kady Long, 16, of Bishop Stang.

“We played the first game, and we realized how to play Dartmouth and how to beat them,” said Long. “We came out strong. We got those first two goals and that set us up for the game.”

Bishop Stang head coach Expo Duarte said the team is still fine-tuning their skills, but noted that the team’s great defense has been a key to victory.

“We were aggressive to the ball,” said Duarte. “Once we scored the first goal, the girls started believing they could finish. It opened up our opportunities.”

With a victory against the Indians under their belt, Bishop Stang is set to compete against Durfee on Thursday.