The NC varsity girls soccer team (1-8) unfortunately lost 0-5 against the Riverwood High School Raiders (8-3) Tuesday, March 18. Despite consistent effort, working to secure possession against a weak offense, unfortunate sequences led to the Raiders capitalizing. However, the team remains ready to improve and learn from these moments.
The starting lineup saw changes, with sophomore midfielder Zoe Zavala (7) and sophomore striker Zoe Parham (21) out due to injury. Magnet junior and center back Logan Kirkland (22) started the match despite sustaining a knee injury in a previous match. In the staff department, Head Coach Christina Wilson could not attend due to maternity leave, with Assistant Coach Mark Wilson stepping in as Interim Head Coach to instruct and encourage the team through the match.
“It was a productive first half, to say the least for the team. They played as well as you could ask, it was just unfortunate for us to score despite our effort on defense. We just need to keep our strong formation and play smarter on the ball and I am certain we can pull this game back,” Wilson said.
At the beginning of the first half, the girls held a strong defense with Kirkland and sophomore center-back London Roby (14) side-tackling and protecting the goal. Any balls that passed through the defense, magnet junior goalkeeper Kasey Erickson (1) caught and maintained the 0-0 score. Within minute 36, the Raiders scored their first goal, inciting panic in both the NC team and fans. The NC coaches decided to substitute three players to provide NC a chance at redemption. Magnet junior defender Diya Mohan (11), sophomore midfielder Bella Morales (8) and senior midfielder Maya Agbor (19) joined the game, hoping to tie the score.
“When I finally got on the field, I was ready to serve the ball up to the forwards to get us some points and even the score. I’ve been taking free kicks since I started in my position in freshman year, so I was looking forward to just going in and helping wherever I could. There were a few free kicks that I did that helped us get closer to the goal. I think we played extremely hard, and even though we lost, we were able to learn more about how to play and work with each other, ” Mohan (11) said.
Shortly after the substitution, the Raiders scored once again, bringing the overall score to 2-0. The NC Warriors returned back after the goal strongly, defending their side and keeping the ball mainly on the opposing side. Offensive players senior Julianna Patarroyo (17) and sophomore Jordyn Peay (16) attempted a few shots, but the Raider’s goalie lamentably caught them. The NC girls worked to keep the Raiders from scoring for the rest of the half through hard work and communication. During halftime, the NC team grouped up and created a plan on how to return the score to a tie. The girls on both teams showed high energy when returning back to the field.
The Lady Warriors began the second half ready to keep working towards a comeback. Unfortunately, Riverwood scored two goals in quick succession and, following a period of relative back and forth, scored a third to put the team up five goals. Amid the rest of the game, NC continued the pressure, holding Riverwood from scoring, ending the game with an unfortunate loss.
“This game we celebrated teachers who we looked up to. I chose Mrs. Rankenburg because she’s my teacher for the semester and she makes a great effort in teaching. She always makes sure students understand the work and breaks it down when they do not. Every student that takes AP U.S. History knows how beneficial Mrs. Rankenburg is to their education,” Erickson (1) said.
Following the match, NC began its teacher appreciation night, with students walking to the middle of the field to recognize teachers they nominated for what those teachers meant to their education. Along with athlete appreciation, the teachers received a free shirt recognizing their impact. Despite the loss, the team ensured to thank those who work hard towards their education.
