Through thick and thin, injuries and hardships
Junior defensive player Jenna Kumasaka attacks the ball in a game against Monroe High School. Kumasaka has been practicing really hard this year.“She has always been one to go above and beyond [in practice],”senior Mckenna Reoh said.
The screams of girls and the last minute kick to the goal has been the sounds of the season for the Varsity Girls Soccer Team at Lake Stevens High School. With their current 6-2 record at press time, this group of girls have been through thick and thin.
It seems every year that “at least one person ends up with an ACL tear,” senior forward player Mckenna Reoh said.
It can be a very hard and stressful time with injured players. Junior forward and defensive player, Samantha Foley is slowly coming back to the field after a tough injury.
“I just got back from an ACL tear and have only been back [on the field] for a month so [my fitness] is not where I would like it to be. I tore it last October playing against Mount Vernon High School,” Foley said.
Foley went through a rough patch for months after her injury, “I did physical therapy for about five months, which was very hard on my knee. I then went further and did about two months of work on my knee with a personal trainer to get my strength back,” Foley said. Despite her injury last year, Foley scored a goal during their game against Glacier Peak High School in early October. Every team has their ups and downs.
“Our weakness is finishing our shots,” junior rightside, outside and mid-field player, Amber Elliano said.
Elliano mentioned her team doesn’t just have weaknesses, but the team contains many strengths as well; for example, head shots and quick feet when going against a hard and strong defensive team is only a sliver of their strengths. But one of their most important strengths is their bond. Losing five seniors last year was a hard transition for the team,but they united as one.
“The season is going a lot better than I thought that it would be because we lost so many of our key players last year when they graduated,” Elliano said.
When it comes to any sport involving a team, “you can’t have one player out of the loop, it creates a hole in our bond. Without a strong bond with your team, it’s like each player is out [on the field] for themselves, and that’s not how we play” Reoh explained.
Girls Varsity Soccer is going out this year with a bang! Go support your girls soccer team kick their way into districts! Check out their game schedule and support the Vikings: http://www.wescoathletics.com/index.php?pid=0.3.28.11.320
