As the season begins, changing tides propel the girls’ varsity soccer team to fiercely face their competition. The team started the district games with a 2-0 win against Plano Senior on Jan. 23 and are scheduled to play against Plano West on Tuesday. This season, in particular, stands out because every player is a returner, with the exception of freshman Lauren Delapaz.
“[Coaching] is pretty exciting,” head girls soccer coach Cristy Cooley said. “A soccer game can turn [directions] in a matter of seconds, and [this year], it feels like we have some depth. So if someone gets hurt, we can put another player in there and have the confidence that they’ll try as hard as they can to do the same job as the person that just came off the field.”
The soccer team will compete in games every Tuesday and Friday until March 19. Because of the highly intense nature of the games, it can take a toll on the players, both mentally and physically. The team follows a balanced schedule: after Tuesday games, they do cooldowns and the next day is recovery. They, then, research the next team, analyzing run-throughs of their previous games to prepare for the next one.
“I’ve had a lot of fun bonding with everyone this year,” senior Jessica Reichert said. “We’re all super close and we all play together really well. I’m really hopeful this year and I think we have the potential to go to playoffs.”
To advance to the playoffs, they must occupy one of the top four spots in the district. The soccer team is focused on fighting for the fourth spot because in the Texas Division 6A High School Soccer Rankings, teams number one, two, six and nine all come from this district. Essentially, they must beat Plano Senior, Plano West, Lewsiville, Flower Mound Marcus and Coppell in order to advance.
“Whenever we score a goal, we need to keep playing like it’s 0-0,” Reichert said. “There have been games where we think we’re ahead and we let off a little and then they came back and scored. For districts, we need to focus on every minute and every play.”
The biggest competitors at the moment are Plano Senior and Plano West. In the past few years, the varsity team was not able to beat Plano Senior and Plano West in the ranking. Luckily, many players believe this is the year to do it, especially because of their heavy preparation during the pre-season with film watching and conditioning and their unique team dynamic.
“I think for the first time, it’s an actual team and not simply individuals,“ Cooley said. “Our team captain, Isabella Queneau, is a good driving force and they’re good at playing together for a common goal.”
Through hard work and motivation, the girls look forward to reaching new limits in these next few weeks. Although challenges are unavoidable, seniors such as Queneau and Reichert hope to make this season an especially meaningful one.
“I fell in love with the sport because I feel like it’s a kind of art, the way you move and pass the ball in soccer,” Queneau said. “I just love playing the game and the connections I’ve built from it.”
