Gallery • 3 Photos

Ali Browne

The stand shows off the snacks and posters the seniors received after the game.

This evening, girls varsity soccer defeated Eagle Ridge Academy on their senior night in an 8-1 victory. Even with a 5-0 lead in the first half, the Spartans kept up the intensity and dominated the field offensively until the last second.

Right off the bat, forward Mia Hofmann put pressure on Eagle Ridge’s defensive line, ultimately scoring her first of five goals in the second minute. The rest of the team performed consistently and moved as a unit as they kept the ball predominantly in their opponents’ half of the field and prevented starting goalie Lindsay Browne from getting action near the net. This team chemistry helped each member of the team achieve their goals for the game and show their fans that their hard work in practice has been paying off.

“I’ve been excited [about] my senior night since my freshman year, but I’ve also been dreading it because it would mean that my high school soccer career was coming to an end. I’m really proud of myself and the team because even just this year we have improved so much and continue to push ourselves every day,” said Hofmann.

In addition to Hofmann’s outstanding five goals, midfielder Julia Colbert had her first goal of the season, and forward Sawyer Bollinger-Danielson topped it off with two goals of her own. Compared to last season, the Spartans have had an impressive average of almost four goals per game and recently became the IMAC conference champions for the season.

Motivating the team’s high-energy play were the packed bleachers and decorations honoring the players from the class of 2022. A tradition for the team is hanging up portrait photos of each senior, printing out big-heads, and allowing the players to reflect on their time in the soccer program before celebrating with treats after the game. Parents set up a variety of snacks and posters right next to the sideline, which reminded players of all they could look forward to after the game, helping them stay confident and driven to succeed. With six seniors on the varsity roster, the girls had many key players to honor, which they did both on and off the field.

“I think that we connected our passes well, which helped us highlight the skills of our amazing seniors. Being a part of GVS as a senior has meant so much to me, and this game showed how hard all of the seniors have worked this year,” midfielder Isabel Lutgen said.

Although the team can expect their roster to be subject to many changes between now and next fall, the coaching staff has high hopes for the growing program and the seasons to come. New head coach Paul Armstrong has emphasized the importance of team growth and commitment in his efforts to reframe the values of the team and turn girls soccer into an inclusive teaching program. He wants to rebuild the foundations of the program by committing to teaching players of all skill levels the fundamentals before helping them improve their overall game. Despite the junior varsity team being cut earlier this fall due to a lack of numbers, giving them the option to continue practicing with the varsity team has made them a greater part of the community and will hopefully inspire both middle and upper school students to continue being a part of the soccer program which has lessened in numbers over the last few years.

Girls varsity soccer will take on Richfield Wednesday at Richfield High School at 7 p.m.