Girls soccer kicks off season with a tie

On Friday, Nov. 17, Samo girls soccer team kicked off the season against Notre Dame High School which resulted in a tie of 2-2. “The first game is always the toughest,” coach Jimmy Chapman said. “There is a lot of nervous energy that can get used up if not channeled correctly. It was the first time we played with that line up and went a full 80 minutes so there was naturally some let down.” Chapman later added that despite the setbacks, the girls did very well and the game was very promising. Samo presented themselves as a very dominate team. Throughout the game, the girls maintained great ball possession and were constantly on the move, setting up plays for each other. “I think we did really well for what we had and even though we didn’t win, I think we did our best and I’m really happy with the outcome,” defender, Maiya Coleman (’17) said.Before the start of the season, there has been a high emphasis on fitness. It has been a big priority for the girls. Since last February, the girls have been training to meet specific fitness standards in order to play. Unfortunately, during the scrimmage, about half the girls on the roster were stuck on the bench due to not meeting the specific requirements.“A lot of us need to work on fitness, including me. We are all out of shape, but we are going to get there,” Coleman said.During the second half of the game, forward Dai Williams (’19) scored the first goal of the game and defensive player Giulia Trevellin (’20) scored after Notre Dame scored an equalizer. “For our first game together, I think we performed well,” Trevellin said. “We dominated most of the game and worked well together. It was unfortunate that we tied, but I think if we build off this initial performance, we will do well.” After a riveting eighty minutes and a combined total of four goals scored in the second half, the scrimmage concluded in a 2-2 draw.  “I think overall we passed well, but our communication could be better,” Trevellin said. “Also, if we are going to keep playing with very few subs, out fitness is going to have to increase.”Chapman and the team are very optimistic about what’s to come this season. Their heads are high and they are ready to tackle their next challenge.“Once we get everyone back from club and on the same page, we will be a very solid team,” Chapman said. “The work the girls did on Thursday shows that we are on the right track.”