Tiyrah Miller
Crimson Chronicle Editor
Photo Credit: @hhshotsoffical & @hwoodwsoc
Girls soccer played against Kennedy High in their first round of playoffs on Feb. 17. falling to the Cougars 2-1.
Players said “They were happy that all their hard work had paid off, however they were frustrated. The girls’ soccer team is used to making it to the playoffs; however, this year was a bit different. Normally the team is placed in Division 2, but this year they played Division 3. When playing in Division 2 it was a struggle to make it to the quarterfinals. By being placed in Division 3, they were automatically in the quarterfinals which gave them a fighting chance to get to the semi-finals.
“That’s the frustrating part of being in the playoffs, each category has its disadvantages and advantages,” said coach Yesenia Guzman.
The disadvantage of being in Division 3 was playing against teams they had never faced before.
This year they went undefeated throughout their league season. Going against Belmont for the second time that season they won 11-0 on Feb. 2. Even during the struggles of COVID, with games being canceled and JV losing their season, the varsity team stayed strong, taking on girls from JV and continuing to play.
During their season they focused on bonding as a team, “doing drills that required them to rely on one another; teaching them trust and unity,” said captain Amy Gutierrez (NMA, Junior).
As the season progressed fans watched as the team won time and time again, Guzman attributed the success to, “practice was almost everyday from 4 pm to 6 pm the latest.”
In the game against RFK on Jan. 28, the team celebrated Senior Night, which was held on the field. The team’s seniors were Lannie Garcia, Karen Franco, Alexandra Vasquez, Tirsa Aguilar, Emely Rios, Estefany Castillo, Brook’lynn Sanders, and Crystal Abarca. Parents were invited, the administration was notified, and the scoreboard was used to display last names and jersey numbers. Leadership made posters and seniors Lannie Garcia and Karen Franco also made personal posters for their team members and coach Guzman presented them with flowers. Captain Alexandra Vasquez said she had an amazing time making memories with her teammates.
The season ended with a united team and two very proud coaches. This was coach Guzman’s first season as head varsity coach and described her favorite moment of this season as watching the players that she had been coaching since they were freshmen develop to become amazing leaders.