After coming short 2-3 against Beckman, girls soccer persevered for a crucial 1-0 victory over Woodbridge, earning second place in league and securing CIF qualification.
After a poor start to league, the team had to overcome a lot of adversity to achieve their goals.
“While [the game] was super stressful, it was worth it once the ref blew the whistle and I was able to join my team and celebrate the win and getting second in league. It feels amazing to qualify for CIF,”  junior goalie Katherine Billiter said.
Though the team played one of their best games of the season, it wasn’t until the second half that they took the lead with a goal from sophomore Kimi Rubino.
“I think it was one of the best games we played. We wanted to win really badly to secure our place in CIF” junior Deborah Lee said.
The setting of senior night may have influenced this terrific performance.
“Because it was senior night, I think everyone worked really hard to make our last league game a success and it definitely showed. I think the support we got tonight also really motivated us to do well,” Lee said.
After losing to Beckman in the previous game, the team knew the game could have been their last together.
“At Beckman, we played alright and connected well at the beginning, but then it went downhill when they scored multiple times,” sophomore Amberley Martinez said.
However, the team was able to overcome the immense pressure.
“The night was great and our seniors played amazing, and everyone is really excited to be going to CIF,” Martinez said.
The game was particularly important for the seniors, as it could have been their last regular season high school game.
“It was a tough game and we knew we wanted to win. [It was a] great way to end league and an even better start to CIF,” senior captain Sara Sussman said.
The team now directs their attention to CIF.
“I think we just need to keep calm and play how we normally play despite facing unfamiliar teams in CIF. We could improve on staying composed and playing on the ground more,” Lee said.
The team starts their CIF campaign on Wednesday, February 6 at home against Westlake.