The Bronxville girls’ soccer team may not have played its best game of the season on Tuesday, but at the end of the day, a win is still a win. Hosting Edgemont on Oct. 9, the Broncos overcame a sluggish start—prompting head coach Don Cupertino to bench many of his starting players—to top the Panthers 2-0 for an important league victory.

With only three games left in the regular season, the Broncos (11-2) are hoping to finish up strong and build momentum heading into the playoffs.

Playing without a handful of the team’s core players—including Rachael Peacock who came off in the 10th minute after tweaking her hamstring—the Broncos seemed disjointed early on and were unable to mount sustained, patient attacks against the Panther defense.

Sensing his team needed a spark, Cupertino lifted the majority of his starters for the rest of the half. The move paid off as Bronxville rolled the rest of the way, getting goals from Catherine Faville and Kate Saluti to earn a shutout victory.

“I hoped [it worked]; I wanted to let the starters know they had to get in the game and that we have other players who can contribute,” Cupertino said. “Early on, we were trying hard, but things just weren’t clicking.”

The win had extra significance considering it was the Broncos first game since falling to Pleasantville 1-0 on Oct. 6. Pleasantville and Bronxville are widely considered to be the two top contenders for the Class B crown this year, and Cupertino hoped his squad would be able to rebound after the hard-fought loss.

“The game against Pleasantville was tough,” he said. “It was very important for us to get back in a groove.”

The Broncos have three games remaining on the schedule, including two against Class A clubs Somers and Pearl River before their season finale against league foe Blind Brook. Cupertino hopes to have Peacock back in the starting lineup against the Tuskers on Oct. 12, and believes that his team will be back at full strength for the home stretch. In taking on two larger schools right before the postseason, he added, he hopes his girls will be able to get a taste of playing in a playoff atmosphere.

“With those two schools, we are going to be stepping out of our comfort zone a little bit,” Cupertino said. “Right now, wins and losses are not the most important thing. Obviously, we want to win these games, but it’s about playing good soccer and getting ready for the postseason.”