Until recently, it seemed like everyone had given up on the girl’s soccer team. The Lady Spartans faced loss after loss after loss, and all confidence in themselves had vanished. Many girls had either quit or thought about quitting the team entirely. When Coach Jim Jones took over as head coach of the girl’s soccer team, many wondered how the determined coach was going to improve this team’s broken spirit. After a year of blood, sweat, and tears, results have proven all of their doubters wrong.
Last season, with the help of Coach Jim, the girl’s soccer team broke their 46-game losing streak in their 1-0 win against Greensburg Salem. This game marked the beginning of the Lady Spartans’ triumphant rebuild. This season, so far, these girls have quadrupled their winning results from last season. The team beat Penn Hills, 5-0, North Hills, 2-1, Armstrong, 1-0, and Belle Vernon, 4-0.
With their improving success, it seems like the girl’s on the team improve each time they step out on the field. The confidence and determination they have is clear, for sophomore and captain McKenzie Little believes that this is just the beginning for this team.
“I think the more the team plays together, our confidence improves. Also, when we score, we definitely have more confidence on the field. I think if we keep scoring and improving every game, our confidence will build,” Little explains.
Little and her teammate, senior and captain Jessi Jury, are both in agreement when it comes to recognizing the shift in attitude on and off the field. Jury, who’s been a member of the girls soccer team since her freshman year, believes that the team’s mindset is what sets this team apart from the team she was with during her freshman year. The team’s positive and “hype” energy, coming in and out of games, is what makes everyone believe that “they can be the change” in Hempfield girls soccer. Also, Jury is ecstatic to say that the team’s development when it comes to offensive scoring opportunities has improved greatly!
While the present is exciting, the future is hopeful. Junior Maddie Deyo can attest to this. From what she’s seen so far this season, Deyo is thrilled with the performances from the underclassmen and thinks that should the freshmen and sophomores keep this up, Hempfield’s Lady Spartan soccer team will be in good hands for the next few years.
