Girls’ soccer stays competitive

Team improves offensively despite losses

Senior+Captain+Sammi+Baer+focuses+on+the+ball+as+she+passes+it+to+a+teammate.+Baer+played+soccer+for+over+14+years+before+deciding+to+pursue+track+rather+than+soccer+for+her+athletic+future.

Kailey Deloizer

Senior Captain Sammi Baer focuses on the ball as she passes it to a teammate. Baer played soccer for over 14 years before deciding to pursue track rather than soccer for her athletic future.

Alec Pittman

The girls’ soccer team began to piece together its offense and improved each game they played until defeating Chaska, according to senior captain Anna Roethler.

Roethler said the team’s gameplay improved as the team competed more.

“We have been working on being more offensive. We played with only three defenders so that way we could push more people up,” Roethler said. “We were able to finish on a lot more (offensive plays).”

Junior Annika Vignes, varsity player, said the team remains positive in their transition from club to high sschool season.

“We stayed positive by taking each game as a learning experience and changing what didn’t work from the prior game and making adjustments,” Vignes said. “But we also recognized that we just needed to fall into our rhythm as we are transitioning from playing summer season to high school season.”

Head coach Benjy Kent said his team’s recent losses stemmed from facing competitive programs such as Armstrong and Washburn.

“It’s unfortunate that we can play well and still come out on the short end of the stick,” Kent said.

According to Kent, bringing the team together presents a challenge.

“We have eight returners on the team, which is good, but we are just trying to figure out how to put together the final third of the field — how to get more creative, more intense, more hungry,” Kent said.

The team plays at 5 p.m. Sept. 22 at the St. Louis Park stadium against Robbinsdale Cooper.