Varsity Girls Soccer Midseason Review

The shine of the light, the howl of the wind, the cheering of the crowd, the sound of the whistle. No matter how far forward the offense moves, Blair is always ready to defend his goal. The varsity girls soccer team is preparing hard for the playoffs this season. Although the year was a bit rocky, the team developed both strong players and a strong team bond.

For many girls, football has long been an important part of their lives and it is where players have made some of their strongest connections. Senior Lauren Mayn, a captain on the team, explains how the varsity team is different from previous years and how it has grown. “We really learned to work with each other. We've built relationships, even between seniors and freshmen, and so we're able to just communicate more and be more effective as a unit on the ground,” Mayn said.

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Photo: Senior Helen Zekarias on the field

Senior Helen Zekarias on the field Photo courtesy of Beck Rowe.

Although they have made great progress, some people are not as confident and are still trying to find their footing after a large portion of the team graduated last year in 2024. Junior Eva Damman describes how she assesses the teams’ commitment this year. “We don't have as many dedicated guys, that doesn't mean the seniors are less good at all this year, but it's just a different team… we definitely don't win as often, so we're not as confident,” but that means “It’s not that we’re any less good,” Damman said.

Despite the loss, the girls varsity soccer team has become a unified force, from their activities off the field to their communication on the field. By working on interaction during practice and improving each game, they developed as a team over the course of the season.

As far as the way they play, they have changed their strategy a bit compared to last year. Mayn explains their approach this year by focusing more on protecting their target. “We changed our formation compared to last season, so we definitely have a more defensive strategy,” Mayn said.

Although this approach has helped people adapt to new teammates, both captains and players believe they should be more attacking and assertive in the future. Senior Ainslie Curran-Ng'asi describes some of the frustrations she has experienced in recent games. “I personally want to score more goals, especially because we haven't scored in the last few games,” Curran-Ng'asi said.

Even though they have endured a difficult period in recent games, the players are confident that they can be successful.

#15 is here

Photo: Senior Ainslie Curran-Ng'asi on the field

Senior Ainslie Curran-Ng'asi on the field Photo courtesy of Beck Rowe.

Junior Meron Koro, a captain on the team, explains how she feels about recent losses and what she wants to see for the future. “There is still room for improvement and we all understand that we are all human, we all make mistakes and we all have our passion. “So we just have to stick together because we are a team,” says Koro.

On the positive side, despite their recent defeats, the players had a lot to look back on and a lot to look forward to. Whether it's team-strengthening activities like pool parties and team dinners or impressive plays like Koro's header in the Springbrook game on Sept. 19, there have been many great moments this season. Additionally, many people are looking forward to the playoffs and returning to states.

Koro talks about her hopes for the rest of this season and beyond. “This team is a very special, incredible team and we made history last year and I think we have the capacity and the ability to get through this year. “We'll get there, we'll just stay in the game,” Koro said .

As their coach Robert Gibb says, “Every game will be a bulldog game, every game will be a fight for our lives and the fight to win.”

Don't forget to support the varsity girls soccer team by going to the games and cheering them on. Be sure to check them out Blair Athletics website to review the schedule and support fall sports.