Girls soccer ends season with Senior Day victory

On Feb. 9, classmates, friends and family of the Samohi girls soccer team packed along the sideline to watch the girl’s partake in Senior Day which happens to be the final game of the regular season. Samo swept El Segundo High School 4-0 continuing their reign of dominance in the Ocean League.Before the match began, the Seniors lined up in the middle of the field and were each individually called forward by varsity head coach Jimmy Chapman to be recognized for their hard work and contribution to the program followed up by what the senior’s aspirations outside of high school. Each girl was met with a barrage of cameras waiting to photograph the unforgettable moment. Signs were made for each senior girl on the team illustrating their name and photos throughout their entire soccer career. “It was definitely bittersweet,” goalkeeper Madeline Kresin (’17) said. “I’m so glad that I’ve gotten to play with [the seniors] over the past four years, because they are among the best people and soccer players I’ve ever met, so it was great to play together. At the same time, it was a reminder that our time in Samo soccer is coming to an end, although hopefully our last game won’t be for as long from now as possible.”The game kicked off with Samo almost having a full senior roster. The girls showcased what they have been working so hard towards and left everything out on the field. They battled El Segundo for possession before ultimately having primary control over the ball. Forward Leilani Arvizu (’17) scored the first goal of the game followed by forward Lily Moore (’17) to end the half in a 2-0 lead.The second half was by far the loudest the sideline has ever been. All the girls on the bench were on the edge of their seats cheering on their teammates. Midfielder Maggie Lena (’17) scored her first goal of the game off a header which further fueled the Samo sidelines. The rest of the half was an upward battle for Samo. They struggled to maintain possession and gave El Segundo a few goal opportunities. Fortunately for them, El Segundo was not able to execute their players and Samo picked up their last goal.In the final minutes of the game Samo had a full senior roster on the field. They communicated and pushed against the El Segundo defense and were almost able to pick up another goal. When the final whistle blew, relief set over the seniors and the sideline was ecstatic over the victory. “I’m going to miss the small moments and inside jokes that we have, as well as the bond that we’ve created with the entire team. I know that every one of them has my back both on and off the field, and that this will continue to be the case even once we are no longer on the same team” Kresin said. The girls begin playoffs on Feb. 16 and it is unknown who they will be playing against. “I think we are more focused this year than we have been in the past and that we are lucky to have many talented players in each position. More importantly we work together well and have the mentality that we need each other in order to succeed. In order to continue to win, we need to keep focusing on our strengths and keep playing how we’ve been playing without letting the potentially stressful atmosphere get us,” Kresin said.