The girls varsity soccer team tied 0-0 after a hard-fought game against the Newton South Lions at Skyline field on Saturday, Sept. 20.
The game was also the Warriors’ Shoulder Check game, an initiative supporting the mental health of athletes. Senior and captain Mirabelle Keselman said the conversations the team had around Shoulder Check before the game translated into a strong warm-up, with the emphasis on working together as a team.
“Our warm-up was really good, and we knew that coming off of not the best record, we really had to set the tone here,” Keselman said. “So I think that we knew that we had to go out strong in the first half.”
The Warriors did, indeed, come out strong in the first half, holding the majority of the possession. The first shot on goal was by the Warriors, off a corner kick.
Despite pressure on the Warriors’ goal, senior Eva Berkson and junior Paige Hammond held the possession strong in the midfield. Junior Juliana Segal shot on goal right before the end of the first half, but the shot was saved by the Lions’ keeper, making the first half scoreless.
Head coach Ben Peters said losing nine seniors has impacted the team, but that they can work through it.
“We were so used to having superstars like we had the last couple years that would score all the goals, and now they’re not here,” Peters said. “We are missing that a little bit. We’ve just got to come together as a team now and figure out how to score.”
The second half started with a close goal attempt by junior Hannah Greer.
Senior and captain Elin Lindgren-Palm said that Greer had a great game and implemented strategies that the team had been working on in practice.
“We’ve talked to her recently about keeping composure and helping us switch the ball along the back line. And she did exactly what we asked her to,” Lindgren-Palm said. “She also had some good runs in the wing. She really stepped up today.”
The rest of the second half was dominated by the Warriors and filled with runs and attempts on goal. Despite multiple close shots, the Warriors were held scoreless to finish the game, ending the game, 0-0.
Looking forward, Peters highlighted the captains as bringing good energy and team spirit throughout the season.
“Our captains are doing a fantastic job. Mirabelle [Keselman], Julia [Vianello] and Elin [Lindgren-Palm] are definitely crushing it and keeping the vibes high despite not winning six games in,” Peters said. “They’re doing a great job.”
