Girls soccer falls in quarterfinals to conclude phenomenal season

After a successful season, the Samo girls soccer team ended their year in the quarterfinals of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoffs.In a game very reminiscent of last year’s semi-finals, the team faced La Mirada High School on Feb. 25 for the quarter-finals game. Going back to the same school against the same team as last year, the Vikings felt prepared to redeem themselves for their lost against the team, who eventually went on to win the CIF title. However, despite their efforts, Samo lost 2-1 in an emotional finish to their season.After beating El Segundo High School in their last league game, the Vikings were once again crowned the Ocean League champs for the third consecutive year. The girls compensated for their rough start in pre-season by finishing league with a record of 8-1-1.According to defender Naomi Miller-Altuner (’17), the team really started coming together during practices and their chemistry on and off the field showed during games as they were able to communicate well and play in a cohesive manner .“We all really pushed ourselves during practice and I think we always gave it our all and supported each other in everything we did,” Miller-Altuner said. “We’re all friends and I think that's important when you're on a team.”The team’s conditioning regimen starting last school year and their offensive style of play were the main components of their success this year, according to defender Francine Rios-Fetchko (’16).The high pressure and the 4-3-3 formation that the girl's implemented into this year led to a more offensive style of play.“We were more focused and discipline, from last year to this year,” head coach Jimmy Chapman said. “[We] lost 7 players, so not many people came back, but those who did were instrumental in our success. Even though we didn't get to the semi-final game like we did last year, we were able to maintain a certain level of excellence in our program, which I believe to be a sign of a well-run program.”Even though the team wasn’t able to surpass last year’s checkpoint, they still represented Samo proudly as they took us with them throughout their journey into league championship and playoff qualifiers.“The players were unselfish and did what they needed to do to ensure success for the team,” Chapman said. “Our goal was to take the next step into the championships. We didn't make that goal but we certainly exceeded all expectations. Next year will be tough, many of our key players are leaving off to college yet again. But the core of our team will remain and from there we can build again.”