Girls’ soccer celebrates senior night

Team succeeds offensively

Alec Pittman

Scoring eight goals on senior night, the girls’ varsity soccer team enjoyed every minute of its 8-0 win over Richfield according to senior captain Meili Liss.

Despite tying its last game to Hopkins 0-0, the team went on a win streak throughout the middle of the season. Prior to the tie, the team won seven games in a row, defeating all conference opponents thus far in the season as well as winning a few non-conference games.

Senior Sofia strides for the ball as she is pressured by 2 Richfield opponents. The team won 8-0 and included seniors from JV and varsity in the senior night game.
Mira Swartz
Senior Sofia Jacobsson strides for the ball as she is pressured by two Richfield opponents. Park won 8-0 and included seniors from JV and varsity in the senior night game Sept. 29.

Liss said the team did so well offensively the starters had to be pulled so the game wasn’t too much of a blowout.

“Of course you don’t want to go into double digits scoring for soccer or even 8, which is pushing it. But I thought it was fun for different players to feel confident by assisting or scoring those goals,” Liss said. “Almost all of our players on the field by the end of the game were JV players which I thought was really fun that they got a chance to play all together at the varsity level.”

According to junior captain Rafferty Kugler, senior night provided a great chance for both older and younger players to play at the varsity level.

“We got a win which is great and it was a good opportunity for all the seniors to play together,” Kugler said. “(We also) got some JV freshmen and sophomores on the field for an overall great outcome.”

Liss said she felt much different during the game itself compared to how she felt afterwards.

“At the moment I thought it was really fun playing with all my good friends. I was more in the moment and wasn’t really thinking of all the soccer I have played up until now,” Liss said. “It was weird to think though that the senior game was for me and my grade because it felt like just yesterday I was a freshman and the senior grade was having their senior night.”

Kugler said continuing to win would be nice but she remains focused on how the team feels at the end of the season.

“It would be amazing to keep our conference lead and eventually win our conference and of course move on past our first section game but that isn’t the most important thing,” Kugler said. “I want our team to come out of this season without any regrets. We would love to keep winning games and moving on but whatever happens, knowing that we fought the good fight and played for each other without any regrets, is all I really want our team to accomplish.”

The team plays its final conference and regular season game at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at the St. Louis Park stadium against Benilde-St. Margaret’s.