Poet Soccer Kicks Off on the Right Foot!
The Whittier Women’s Soccer Team has kicked off the start of the fall sports season with their game on September the first. The team walked away with a 2–1 victory against Bethesda University. There seems to be high spirits among the team and they are excited for the upcoming season. The last twenty minutes of the game were played energetically and there was a lot of encouragement coming from the defenders.
Before the game I spoke to Shayla Sakkakhanaune, who plays wingback on the team. She was very excited for the upcoming game. “We have a lot of newcomers. It’ll be their first game! It’ll be my first game for the season. It’s exciting!” When asked how the team had improved from last season, she said, “something that we did that is different, is this season, before the preseason started, we had captain’s practice. And [my] freshman and sophomore year we didn’t do that. We just kind of went into pre-season going off of what every individual girl did for the summer. So, I think that was a really important step for getting the girls together so we can get used to each other so far. That’s probably why I feel comfortable with them already so far”.
Her statement was absolutely reflected on the field as the girls seemed to play together as if it was second nature. They were able to communicate with each other and stick to a strategy. Their communication was further emphasized compared to opposing teams who seemed to be lacking in that department.
Freshman midfielder, Madeline Traylor, is “definitely feeling some positivity.” After the game the newcomer feels that the energy between her team members is better than any other team she’s been on. She expressed that the first game was, “ Very exciting! Very competitive and very nerve racking at some times but we stayed in the game and we are very competitive and stayed strong”.
Finally, I spoke to Beth Juarez and Chloe Fung. They both had an optimistic outlook on the season as well but acknowledged that the team still has some things they could work on. Keeper Juarez, who saved four shots near the end of the game said, “We came out strong and our momentum went really down [during the game] but we have a lot of opportunities to build up from here”. Defender Chloe Fung also commented on the team’s improvement after a rough season last semester. “I think every year we just get closer and we learn how to play with each other more on the field. The chemistry is just building. I think Avery [Gonzalez] and I really try to create this culture that’s going to last long. I think we have a lot of potential to do well.” When asked what they were most excited about this semester they both said that their goal was for the team to make top 4. Fung says, “I’m excited to play some of the top teams! We were placed in fifth for our ranking currently and I’m ready to show them that we’re number one.”
The Women’s Soccer Team is one to watch this semester. Their energy on and off the field is contagious. Traylor asks for the school’s encouragement for the oncoming season. “Definitely please come out! Support us! Show some love for the soccer team…We’ve been putting hard work in at practices and we would love to show out at our home games and our away games as well.”
Photo courtesy of Tony Leon / ACTIONWESTPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
