Hundreds of students took an unexcused absence to attend the lady’s varsity soccer game against Rockwell on Friday, creating a sea of white and noise that could be heard from outside the stadium. It was the first time the Lady Warriors soccer team made it this far in playoffs in four years. But even with the valiant effort of the Lady Warriors, they were unable to defeat Rockwell, ending the game and their chance at state with a score of 2-1.

They started the game strong, with Katie Jennings ‘16 scoring in the first three minutes with an assist from Hyejee Bae ‘16, then almost scoring twice in the next ten minutes. The girls’ defense stepped in, especially towards the end of the first half, with Ella Concannon ‘18 making a great defensive play earning her a free kick with six minutes left in the first half, and Maddi Kruz ‘19 blocking two attempted shots by Rockwell as goalie. This left the Warriors 1-0 at the end of the first half.

“It was an awesome feeling, I couldn’t believe it,” Jennings said. “We were all very emotional.”

In the second half, several of the players got injured but were able to get back on their feet, showing their endless determination. They attempted at goal five more times within the last 30 minutes of the game, but Rockwell’s offense came in and scored a goal at nine minutes remaining and another with only two minutes remaining. The intensity grew in the last 30 seconds, the Warriors getting closer to the goal, but with the buzzer, the girls lost 2-1.

“There was a lot of tears,” Nicole Morgan ‘16 said. “But at the end of the day, everyone was proud because we made it so far and worked so hard to get where we were. We win as a team and we lose as a team.”

Even with this devastating loss, the team’s supportive fans had a lot to say about the game.

“My friends and I covered ourselves in body paint that spelled ‘go wood’, we were so excited,” Daniel Garcia ‘18 said. “The girls played so well and aggressively, it gave the school a special moment to unite.”