The South Kingstown girls soccer team has been drawing attention to itself in recent weeks.

One can’t help but take notice of the I-South leading Rebels and their high-powered offense that includes three of the top four goal-scorers in the division in Amanda Graham, Katie Dufficy and Chelsea Gates.

But as well as his team is playing, South Kingstown coach Jim Kelly is hoping that his players will gain some recognition for what they have accomplished off the field this fall.

At the start of the season, Kelly challenged his senior class to choose a cause and find a way to give back to the community. The girls selected the Rhode Island-based Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation as their beneficiary and designated South Kingstown’s Oct. 7 Division I matchup against Mt. Hope as a “Pink Out Game.” The Rebels collected sponsorships, ordered pink wrist bands and T-shirts, made arrangements with the school and athletic director Terry Lynch to have the sale of the shirts serve as the gate fee and also held at the game a raffle for a dinner-for-two.

Kelly called the event “an outstanding success.”

“Because of the leadership of senior captain, Sarah Fagan, and with the driving support of the rest of the seniors on the team, along with the tremendous contributions from the South Kingstown and Mt. Hope supporters, they raised approximately $1,500 towards the defeat of breast cancer,” he said. “When I looked across the field and saw a wall of pink — even the boys team was in pink — I was very, very proud of the girls. People may be pleased with our play so far, in our pursuit of the state championship, but in my book, this team is already champions. Anything else is just icing on the cake.”

Games draw hundreds

More than 300 spectators turned out for the inaugural Alice Sullivan Memorial Scholarship Games, which featured an all-star field hockey match, Saturday at Cranston Stadium.

Although all donations have not yet been tallied, based upon gate fees, advertising revenue from the program book and a $500 donation from the Rhode Island Field Hockey Coaches Association, Bay View coach Ken Dias — who led the organization efforts for the game — estimates that Saturday’s event helped generate around $2,000 for the Alice Sullivan Foundation. The foundation, named in honor of the late pioneer of girls athletics in Rhode Island, provides scholarships for young women who are following in Sullivan’s footsteps by pursuing careers in academics, athletic administration and coaching.

“Alice would be so very happy to know that her legacy continues on through the continued notion of ‘always giving back,’ ” Betty Marquis, chair of the Alice Sullivan Scholarship Committee, wrote in an e-mail to those who helped make last Saturday’s game possible. “The $2,000 will be added to the Alice Sullivan Scholarship Fund and will hopefully allow us the opportunity to increase the number of scholarships given each year.”

At least one representative from nearly every team in the league participated in the all-star game. They were split into a North team, coached by Dias and Lincoln High coach Erin Metivier, and a South team, coached by Deb McMullen of East Greenwich and South Kingstown’s Margaret McGregor.

The players treated the crowd to a spirited match. South — which got goals from Burrillville’s Kristina Gingell, Barrington’s Hillary Anderson and Cumberland’s Beth Sullivan — took an early 2-0 lead. But North, which had two goals from North Kingstown’s Cassie Raye-Stuart and another from Smithfield’s Colleen Brague — tied the score on a penalty corner with no time left in regulation. The teams traded a goal in the first 15-minute overtime period, then played another scoreless overtime period, ultimately settling for a 3-3 tie.

“I thought it went very, very well,” Dias said. “There was a good crowd there and it was pretty competitive. It was nice to have the kids play together.”

Plans are under way for the winter version of the Alice Sullivan Memorial Games, which will feature girls basketball. Details to come.

Top runners race Saturday

A number of Rhode Island high school cross-country teams will test their mettle against some of the best in the region at the 26th annual Brown University Northeast Cross Country Championship, Saturday at Goddard Memorial State Park in Warwick.

Racing begins with the first freshmen race at 8:50 a.m.

cthorn@projo.com