The Lady Gales finish off their season with a 9-3-3 record. The Gales are now entering the first round of the tournament play against Pickerington Central. Head coach Brian Griffin said that their regular season has gone well.
“We’ve stayed away from limiting factors, such as injury or illness, for the most part. Our numbers are up, and the players really seem to enjoy each other. Let’s hope the soccer gods keep smiling upon us the rest of the season,” said Griffin.
Griffin said that he credits the senior athletes’ abilities to lead the team for their overall success this year.
“It’s really enjoyable coaching this group of seniors. They’ve been through it all. The highs of winning the league and the lows of narrowly missing another title. But through it all, they’ve stayed positive, been coachable, and been dependable to themselves. A lot of credit goes to the leadership we’ve gotten with this group of seniors,” said Griffin.
The Lady Gales captains said that they are looking forward to tournament competition, but they also reflected on the highlights of their regular season. Rebecca Woody, one of the team’s captains, said that the team’s dynamic proved to be a firm foundation.
¨Highlights this year have been the bond with the team; it feels stronger than ever. Other highlights are scoring goals, of course, but even without those, my happiness this season has come from my teammates,” said Woody.
Goalie Grace Hampson said that playing soccer provided more than just opportunities to play the game.
“The highlight of my senior year, just like every year, would be my teammates. As much as I love the game of soccer, I love the people more. We always find a way to make each other laugh and lift one another up. The support system and friendships that I’ve created are something I will cherish forever. Without playing soccer, my high school experience would be completely different,” she said.
The Lady Gales also experienced some challenges this season.
“The biggest challenge for our team has been scoring goals. We’ve had numerous times where we have come short simply because we haven’t been able to score. Watching this as a goalkeeper has been really hard. I see the effort and attempts from my teammates, and it’s hard to know I can’t do much. As the season is coming to an end, I just hope we find that space where we can figure out what works and be successful,” said Hampson.
“The biggest challenge would definitely be gaining my confidence back from tearing my PCL and working hard enough to be ready for the season without risking re-injuring my knee,” said Mia Griggs, a team captain.
Woody said strong team relationships have been a major factor in the success of their season.
“The biggest thing girls soccer has taught me is that when times are tough, you need to rely on your teammates, your friends, and they need to rely on you to pick each other up. Negativity will continue to spread if your leaders contribute, so be the leader that fights against negativity. Always help your teammates find positives amongst all the negatives,” she said.
Hampson described her senior year as bittersweet.
“It’s so exciting getting to do all the senior activities and to finally be the big kid. There’s so many great things that find that space where we can figure out what works and be successful,” said Hampson. make this soccer team so special, and realizing that these are my last [games] stings a bit. There’s also moments where we lost an important game that hit harder than usual because that was my last chance to do something great for my team,¨ she said.
