There is no doubt that this year’s soccer season is one to remember, especially for the nine seniors who were on the team. Not only did Archer Soccer have a tremendous record this season, but the team members also formed inseparable friendships, making this year’s team one of the closest Archer Soccer has ever had.
The season started off rough– two seniors tore their ACLs (anterior cruciate ligaments) in the first game of the season against Palisades High. However, as the season continued, Archer Soccer was determined to show that nothing could keep them down. The team ended the season with a total of eight wins, a testament to the team’s hard work and dedication throughout the season. Additionally, during both games against the soccer team’s rival, Crossroads, Archer Soccer proved themselves to be a tough competition.
However, the highlight of the season was not the team’s successful record, but the team’s close friendships. Archer Soccer had innumerable memories—both on and off the field—helping the team become closer than ever.
This year the soccer team started a new Soccer Buddy Program, in which upperclassmen on the team were paired up with freshman and sophomore players. Senior Becca Samuelson says the program “made the team feel like a real family.” She says her soccer sister, Ari Brown (’16), “is like a real sister to me. [I can] talk to her about everything on and off the field and I’m going to miss her so much next year.”
In addition to the Buddy Program, Archer Soccer’s team lunches during tournaments contributed to the team bonding. Freshman starter Ali Kiley stated, “I think that the moment that our team started to get really close was our first team lunch during a tournament. We went to CPK and the seniors really attempted to talk to all the new freshman and other players. The team was very integrated and we were all laughing and talking about fun memories.”
Archer Soccer ended its annual end of the year celebration with a twist. For the fourth year, senior Nahal Shakib, hosted the soccer team end of the year party, which includes D Morrison’s (’13) montage of the soccer season pictures. However, this year a team sleepover was added to event. Many of the players spent the night talking, playing games, bursting out into random dance and (of course) eating. Rosy DePaul (’13) adds, “the team sleepover was a really great way to culmlate the year because it created an atmosphere that caused the team to bond even more after the season was over and by creating friendships that lasted beyond the soccer season.”
Even though the soccer season is now over, the legacy of the team’s season continues on. Archer Soccer had a season filled with laughter, enjoyment, and friendships, attributes that senior Geffen Treiman explains “helped us with our game on the field.”
Featured Image: Photo by Daniella Morrison
