Here are the top girls soccer performances from last week. Email nominations each week to joseph.morelli@hearstmediact.com.

Taylor Allan, North Branford, Soph.: Had two goals and four assists in North Branford’s 11-3 win over Platt Tech.

Sophia Bianco, Barlow, Jr.: Goalkeeper shut out New Fairfield 1-0, Bianco’s ninth shutout of the season.

Sydney Bronk and Ella Santoro, New Britain, Srs.: Santoro tied the school record with four goals scored in a single game and Bronk also tied a school record with four assists in a game, both accomplishing the feats against New Britain, an 8-0 win.

Sophia Brown, Holy Cross, Sr.: Had two goals and an assist in a 7-0 win for the Crusaders over Wolcott.

Gabby Butler, Middletown, Sr.: Scored four goals in a 5-0 win for the Blue Dragons over New Britain.

Mia Cunningham, Seymour, Soph.: Made 15 saves to help the Wildcats edge Haddam-Killingworth 2-1.

Gianna Desjardins, Nonnewaug, Jr.: Assisted on two goals in Nonnewaug’s 4-0 victory over Thomaston.

Charlotte Diviney, Simsbury, Jr.: Scored two goals against Farmington in a 4-0 victory.

East Hampton: The Bellringers finished the regular season at 13-0-2. They are just one of two remaining unbeatens, Bacon Academy is the other. 

Taylor Freimuth, Terryville, Sr.: Scored four goals in Terryville’s 5-0 win over Shepaug.

Trocari Griffith-McCalop, HMTCA, Jr.: Scored both goals, including a penalty kick, as HMTCA handed International/Aerospace its first loss 2-1.

Scarlette Gutierrez, Stratford, Jr.: Scored twice against New Milford (5-2 loss) and another against Immaculate (2-1 loss).

Dylan Hall, Branford, Sr.: Goalkeeper made 25 saves in a 6-0 loss to Lauralton Hall. She now has a school-record 526 saves for the Hornets.

Anna Henry, Lewis Mills, Sr.: Goalkeeper made 17 saves as Lewis Mills knocked off previously-unbeaten Farmington 2-1.

Amiyah Jones, West Haven, Jr.: Scored twice in the Westies’ 5-2 win against Branford.

Bianca Maciel, Sacred Heart Academy, Sr.: Had two goals and three assists in a 9-0 win over Law and scored both goals in a 2-1 win over Cheshire. 

Emily McKelvey, Lyman Memorial, Sr.: Scored five goals in two games against Hale-Ray (6-3 victory) and Westbrook (5-1).

Hannah Milne, Weston, Jr., GK: Posted shutouts over New Milford (3-0) and Kolbe  Cathedral (6-0) last week and has seven overall. 

Sadie Passante, Morgan, Sr.: Had a hat trick in a 5-0 victory over East Lyme.

Mackenzie Pierce, Holy Cross, Jr.: Had two goals and three assists in the Crusaders’ 7-0 victory against Wolcott.

Siya Rajesh, International/Aerospace, Soph.: Had a hat trick in a 6-0 victory over Comp Sci.

Hayle Rosado, North Branford, Jr.: Had four goals and two assists in the Thunderbirds’ 11-3 win against Platt Tech.

Bria Rossi, Bristol Central, Fr.: Scored both goals in a 2-2 tie with Avon.

Ava Segalla, Housatonic Regional, Sr.: Scored four goals to become the school’s all-time leading scorer with 122 goals, passing her sister Lauren, who had 120. Housatonic beat Monument Mountain (Mass.) 6-1.

Samantha Selig, Staples, Jr.: Had three assists in a 5-2 win against Westhill.

Amelia Stephens, Masuk, Sr.: Scored the go-ahead goal in the second half to help the Panthers beat Barlow 2-1. 

Marleigh Stewart, Seymour, Soph.: Scored both goals in the Wildcats’ 2-1 victory against Haddam-Killingworth.

Talia Tamsin, Branford, Soph.: Came through with a hat trick in the Hornets’ 4-1 win over East Haven.

Shae Tiven, Waterford, Soph.: Scored the game’s only goal against Morgan. 

Alexa Van Aken, Staples, Soph.: Assisted on both of the Wreckers’ goals in a 2-0 win over Fairfield Ludlowe.

FCIAC tournament quarterfinals, Tuesday, at site of higher seed: Is this a wide open FCIAC Tournament? Indeed it is. Top seed Greenwich has had a great season, its lone loss to St. Joseph. The Cardinals are looking for their first league championship since 2012 (shared title with St. Joseph). New Canaan is the defending champion and is the No. 2 seed here with a potential semifinal-round matchup with St. Joseph.

SWC tournament quarterfinals, Tuesday, at site of higher seed: Notre Dame Prep is the top seed and Brookfield, the defending champion, could get the Lancers in the semifinals, but would have to win at Masuk in the opener. Newtown and Pomperaug are on the other side of the bracket and would meet in the semis at Newtown if seeding holds to form. 

SCC tournament quarterfinals, Thursday, at site of higher seed: Mercy has won the last two titles. Can Amity, last year’s other finalist, dethrone the Tigers? The Spartans snapped Mercy’s 51-game regular season unbeaten streak earlier this month.

CCC tournament quarterfinals, Thursday, at site of higher seed: Farmington is the defending champion, but Simsbury (the 2023 winner), Lewis Mills and East Catholic are all contenders.

The death of an 11-year-old girl whose remains were found this month — about a year after police believe she was killed — has renewed a debate over Connecticut homeschooling regulations.

Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia’s remains were found behind an abandoned New Britain home on Oct. 8 after police say her family hid her decomposing body for about a year. The girl’s death went unnoticed because she was no longer enrolled in school and the state Department of Children and Families said her mother had another child pose as her during a virtual visit months after she is believed to have died.

The girl’s mother, Karla Garcia, and the woman’s boyfriend, Jonatan Nanita, have each been charged with murder with special circumstances, conspiracy to commit murder, intentional cruelty to a child under age 19, unlawful restraint and risk of injury. Garcia also is charged with tampering with physical evidence and illegal disposal of a body. The woman’s sister, Jackelyn Garcia, is charged with intentional cruelty to a child, first-degree unlawful restraint and risk of injury to a minor.

Connecticut officials who oversee agencies connected with child protection and safety say the 11-year-old’s death is the latest example of why they believe the state needs regulations on homeschooling.

“The Center for Children’s Advocacy strongly supports parents’ constitutionally protected right to direct the education of their child, including the right to provide a home-based education,” said Sarah Eagan, the agency’s executive director. “In Connecticut, despite our compulsory education and attendance laws, school districts do not engage in any inquiry or follow up on children that are permanently removed from school for the stated purpose of homeschooling. Most states have follow-up, record keeping, or other requirements related to withdrawn and homeschooled children. CCA strongly recommends that lawmakers urgently address this public policy matter as it directly impacts the safety and wellbeing of certain children.” 

An online petition started by Bridgeport resident Los Fidel is lobbying for the creation of “Mimi’s Law” to ensure “no child disappears unnoticed again.” As of Monday morning, the petition on change.org had gathered more than 13,000 signatures.

However, the leader of a homeschooling advocacy organization said in a news release that the “offense date” of June 21, 2024 listed in Connecticut court records for Karla Garcia indicates the child was killed more than a month before her mother withdrew her from public school.

Attorney Deborah G. Stevenson, founder of National Home Education Legal Defense LLC, said that means complaints about homeschooling and the child being out of the public eye when she was allegedly abused and killed are baseless.

Farmington police said the June offense dates listed for Karla Garcia and her two co-defendants reflect only the start of a time range for the crimes because investigators are still trying to determine precisely when the girl was killed. Arrest warrants in the case have been sealed until next week.

Search warrants that were obtained by Farmington police indicate they believe the child’s alleged abuse was witnessed by Jackelyn Garcia between June and August 2024 when she was living with the family for periods of time. Karla Garcia told her sister that the girl died on Sept. 19, 2024, weeks after she filed to have the child homeschooled, according to the documents.

Police say the girl suffered “prolonged physical abuse” and “malnourishment.” In the search warrants, police said Karla Garcia “stopped feeding” the child in the weeks before she died and that the girl was restrained with zip ties.

The offense dates for all of Jackelyn Garcia’s charges are listed in court records as June 1, 2024. Offense dates for all charges against Karla Garcia and Nanita are listed as June 21, 2024.

Jacqueline attended New Britain schools from kindergarten through fifth grade, according to New Britain Superintendent of Schools Tony Gasper. On Aug. 26, 2024, which would have been Jacqueline’s first day of sixth grade, Karla Garcia filed an official Notification of Withdrawal from the school district, stating her daughter’s new address would be in Farmington, Gasper said. On that same day, Garcia filed a Notice of Intent: Instruction of Student at Home form with the district, he said.

Stevenson said the outcry about homeschooling after crimes against children, including a Waterbury man who says he was held captive in his home since he was removed from school as a child, “is nothing new” and is an excuse to force more regulation of at-home education.

Connecticut’s homeschooling laws are looser than in neighboring states. A recent report by the Office of Legislative Research says Connecticut’s homeschooling framework largely relies on voluntary guidelines rather than on state statute — making it an outlier compared to nearby states that solidify rules around notice and record-keeping under the law.

Although there are rules around withdrawing children from school, Connecticut does not legally require any notification from parents before homeschooling their children, according to the report. There are also no state laws around required home record-keeping, annual assessments or enforcement or intervention mechanisms if homeschooling requirements are not met, the report noted.

Advocates say this lack of regulation has allowed some parents to withdraw their children from school, isolate their children, shield themselves from reports to the state’s child welfare agency and neglect or abuse their children. State guidelines recommend parents file notice of intent to homeschool with the local board of education, but it is not mandated by law, according to the report.