Seven seniors, five juniors, five sophomores, nine freshmen. This new cohort for the girls varsity soccer team is nothing like it was from last year, when there were only two freshmen. While this is a radical change that has shifted the dynamics of the team, most of the players see these new additions as something positive.

According to senior Maddie Kahl, the team last year was less cohesive. But this year, with all the fresh faces, including a new head coach, the atmosphere is new.

“There’s a different vibe. Last year our team was very split, but with the freshmen, actually, it’s good because it brings us all together,” Kahl said.

Sophomore Liz Dumas has noticed a difference from when she was one of two freshmen on the varsity team last year.

“Even though there’s so many freshmen, it’s still an accomplishment to make the varsity team,” Dumas said. “It’s just different from my experience because I was fighting for playing time with only 18 others, while the freshmen are now with 26.”

Not only has the vibe and the competition for playing time changed, but the role of the upperclassmen has also developed and adapted to keep up with that shift. And according to junior Simone St. Pierre, with new players and a new coach this year, everyone is adjusting.

“It’s kind of interesting leadership wise,” St. Pierre said. “We’re all kind of in it together, I guess, because we’re all trying something new. It’s kind of the best year to have a bunch of freshmen coming because it’s all new in general.”

Freshmen Maya Shaughnessy and Lauren Mahoney said meeting upperclassmen before the start of school really helped them with their transition to the high school. And while they said it was terrifying in the beginning for them to be playing with older girls, being on the team has made them realize that they can actually keep up.

“It’s still really fun, and it really does build your confidence a lot, knowing that you can play with them,” Mahoney said.

While having this many freshmen has been a significant change for the upperclassmen on the team, head coach Robert Sprague was only looking for one thing.

“I don’t think I chose them because they were freshmen,” Sprague said. “They are the players we thought gave us the best chance to win.”

With the idea of winning in the minds of the freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, they only have one goal: making the playoffs.

“We really want to make playoffs. And it’s like we are going to make playoffs,” St. Pierre said. “It’s kind of the mindset we’re keeping with it.”

Sarah Gladstone can be contacted at [email protected]