In the crisp and cold air of Friday, Feb. 2, the varsity girls’ soccer game was held at Hendrickson High School. This was the first district game and it went just as the Lady Warriors hoped.

The first half was eventful with the occasional head passes and assists but things sped up at the 23 minute mark for Autumn Koch ‘19 who dribbled the ball past the Hawk’s goalie and into the net. Along with receiving a rewarding roar from the crowd, her fellow Lady Warriors did not hesitate to congratulate Koch on her goal. Although the Hawks got close to scoring, Sarah Frank ‘18 assisted goalie Madison Broadbent ‘21 by blocking their advances.

“It feels amazing starting the season off right! The team had really great energy and we fed off of each other. Way to start strong!” Asha Samson ‘18 said. “Way to start strong!”

By the second half, the pressure from the Hawks was high, but the Lady Warriors deflected all potential goals. Broadbent caught the ball a staggering six times. She got some help from Claire Tinker ‘19 who jumped in the way of the ball early on in the second half. Towards the end, when neither the Hawks nor the Lady Warriors scored any goals, the frustration became present in the players. There were several illegal pushes from the Hawks with only minutes left on the board.

“I’m kind of used to getting beat up during games and I feel like other teams sometimes target me but this team is a family to me. It’s just important to stay strong for them and I know that they look up to me so it’s important for me to keep it together in times like that,” Ella Concannon ‘18 said.

The Hendrickson Hawks were state champions last year, so the victory was all the more rewarding.

“I would hate to lose on our territory, and they already had the pressure of defending their title of state champs, so I’m proud that we pushed through and won,” Hailey Martinez ‘21 said.

Catch the Lady Warriors at the Warrior Bowl on Tuesday, Feb. 6 against the McNeil Mavericks at 7:15 p.m..