Soccer is no walk in the park. This year, the stakes are even higher.
“It’s pretty dang competitive,” Coach Carrie Hoffman-Howell said. “We used to be in an easier district but a lot of the teams in our district have gotten better so now it’s not a given that were going to make play-offs like it used to be, we actually got to play really hard.”
“It takes up a lot of time, it’s a lot of work but it’s also really enjoyable,” senior Zac Cerra said.
Despite all the hard work, everyone still holds some concerns for the team. Senior Mason Tomseck   fears unfair losses.
“I fear us having to lose games that we really should win,” said Tomseck.
Coach Hoffman-Howell worries about the height of opposing players.
“We’re not the tallest of teams and so we could have issues with taller teams but with our individual foot skills and our speed and endurance hopefully we’ll overcome their height,” Hoffman-Howell said.
But what makes Coach Ryan Logan the most insecure is the lack of goalkeepers on his team.  He fears that if one of them were to get injured, there wouldn’t be any replacements.
“Not very many people are a keeper on our program.  It’s probably the weakest part of us is we have no depth in keeper. Like, we don’t have a backup for any team,” Logan said.
That being said, Cerra reveals that along with many others, he’s currently hurt,
“Right now, there are a lot of injuries,” Cerra said.  “I have a sprained ankle.”
Tomseck admits that many players are trying to overcome injuries that could jeopardize chances of winning.
“My knees been bothering me and there’s been a bunch of other seniors and key players that have been hurting,” Tomseck said.
In spite of all the hurt knees and ankles, the team continues trying to tackle their biggest obstacle: formations.
“We’re trying to figure out what formation works best with this team,” Hoffman-howell said. “They’re in a unique situation where we can put them in all kinds of formations so we’re trying to get them comfortable with what we think might be best for them.” Hoffman-Howell said.
All challenges aside, the teams are starting to notice some major improvements through practices.
“We’ve been getting the hang of playing as a team, as opposed to just a few players trying to do everything,” Cerra said.
Coach Logan feels that those improvements are the team’s ticket to success.
“I think as a team our team chemistry has went up a lot from last year we have become more supportive of each other,” Logan said. “I think they can be more successful from last year just from being more closer. That was our biggest flaw last year is how disappointed and complainey they were.”
Logan isn’t the only one with high hopes for this season. Due to extra practice, Hoffman-Howell feels her girls will also do big things.
“I think we’re going to be more successful this year you know, the girls, for one, now have an athletic period so we were already able to start practicing every other day since we started the school year,” Hoffman-Howell said. “So we’re that much further along than we were at this time last year, we were still trying to bring the team together and get them used to playing with each other as a team so I think we are definitely advancing more than we were last year.”
The teams are only a few weeks into the season and have already witnessed highlight moments by beating tough competition and scoring early in games. A few players have really stood out to the coaches through these moments.
Hoffman-Howell saluted Audry Baker and Catherine Mayo for their good footwork.
“They have a way of, for one, keeping the team going in a positive way, but their ball skills, they’re comfortable with the ball at their feet even when there’s a lot of pressure on them from the other teams and they can still distribute and start an attack,” Hoffman-Howell said. “They control the pace of the game is basically a short and sweet way to put it. “
Logan acknowledges Cerra and Tomseck’s leadership skills.
“They’re seniors and they’re the leaders of the team,” Logan said.
Cerra puts his all into every game and plays his heart out.
“I’d say that the hard part about my role is that I’m on both the defensive and offensive side so I can’t breathe anymore,”Cerra said.
Mason works on keeping the team together and focused.
“I tend to look at the game as a whole and see what is the problem and how to fix it,” Tomseck said. “I actually try to keep the team focused because a lot of the players get really mad at the course of the game and I just try to keep them relaxed.”
At times the intensity of the sport lets stress get the best of everyone.
“We’ve had some verbal disagreements on the field with other teams and even amongst players on our own team,” Cerra said.
But the team has learned to over come their disagreements and enjoy every moment.
“On bus rides we sing with the radio have a lot of fun on the busses that’s like our ritual,” Cerra said.
The players encourage everyone to come out and watch them play, with a promise to keep everyone entertained.
“Come out and support us. We keep the fans entertained,” said Tomasek.