As sophomore Avery Kurt won her last JV soccer game of the season, she smiled thinking of all the progress, laughter and friendships made during her previous two years on the team. 

Varsity coach Nate Huppe congratulated the team on their amazing play this year, seeing how hard each individual person is working. With a losing record of only three, Kurt is really proud of the hard work the girls have put into making this season a success. 

“During our games, we give our full effort and everyone is very determined to win,” Kurt said. “I try to give my 100% every game because ending strong this year will determine the outcome of next year.”

Sophomore Clare Hansen understood that she needed to be dedicated to her goalie training to maintain a successful season. Whether it’s diving, throwing, or jumping for the ball, Hansen does repetitive drills that force her skills to become muscle memory. 

“My favorite thing to do at practice is scrimmage because it helps me get prepared for what could possibly happen during a game,” Hansen said. 

The JV team concluded their season with 11 wins and 54 goals scored. Out of 17 games the girls were only scored on 12 times. An improvement from last season where the team gave up 20 goals. 

“The team is a lot more organized than last year,” Hansen said. “A bunch of the girls played club in the off-season and have significantly improved.”

According to Hasen, JV Head Coach Augie Ramirez’s supportiveness of the girls motivates the team to continue showing up at their best. Ramirez has the team primarily focused on connecting passes and keeping possession of the ball throughout the whole game. 

“The coaching style has been great this year because when you go into practice with an open mind the coaches can take you from a good player to a great one,” Hansen said. 

Having opportunities to get more play time pushed Kurt to new levels. Throughout this season,  her shooting skills improved as well as her confidence in playing different positions.

“It’s just really fun because everyone is so encouraging of one another and so many different people are getting the chance to score really great goals,” Kurt said. 

With only three freshmen this year, the team has matured from last season and grown as a whole. According to sophomore Emilia Olsen, it’s been inspiring to see the junior players become leaders. Olsen hopes one day she can also guide others in their love for soccer. 

“Now that everyone is a year older, players are coming up to JV and are vastly improved,” Huppe said.” You can obviously see that in the JV record.”

Olsen claims that forming a tight-knit group of players not only makes for better team chemistry but also a more enjoyable game. Kurt noted that different grades didn’t affect team bonding because everyone’s personalities clicked, making them feel comfortable with each other. 

“There is always a lot of laughter and a lot of smiling when we play,” Kurt said. “When you spend almost every day together over the course of a season you get really close and become a family.”