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As of late September, the Falcons hold a 2-4 record in the De Anza division, after moving up from last season. Due to the graduated players, there were many slots to fill on varsity.
The Falcons were able to field a full team by calling up several JV players, but it meant the JV team doesn’t have enough players and is playing scrimmages instead of real games.They won 3-0 against Palo Alto on Sept. 29, lost 4-0 against Los Altos on Sept. 27, won 1-0 against Homestead on Sept. 22, lost 8-0 against Saint Francis on Sept. 20, lost 2-1 against St. Ignatius on Sept. 15 and lost 7-0 against Archbishop Mitty.
The team had a rough start during their first game on Sept. 13. They trailed 5-0 by the end of the first quarter and ultimately lost 7-0 to a talented Archbishop Mitty team.
“Mitty’s standing has always been decent in past years, so we were pretty nervous going in. I think it really showed in the first quarter when they scored a lot on us,” junior midfielder Emily Hung said.
The team had to adjust to only having one coach instead of two after former head coach Nanu Sidhu moved away. Nonetheless, practices and drills have remained similar according to senior center midfielder and co-captain Georgia Adams. She said that the team is working to gradually increase the difficulty of practices and conditioning without overworking players.
This year, the varsity team has a new goalie, Grace Mischou. Despite being the only sophomore on varsity, she has a close connection with her teammates.
“The team is amazing and a really great community. It makes the players motivated and helps the team do well,” Mischou said. She appreciates the captains, including Adams, senior Kayla Steele and senior Willemijn Kuiper for keeping communication with the players to make sure everyone is doing their best.
Following tradition, the team has dedicated themselves to ensure that players have strong connections and trust through team bonding activities, such as occasional boba runs and after-practice dinners.
Their main goal is to maintain good chemistry on the field and ensure players are focused at all times. Since the team is in a new league this year, many are stressed about games against strong teams like Los Gatos and Palo Alto. However, Adams hopes that the team will remain optimistic and energetic throughout the season no matter what happens on the field.
“This season will be what we decide to make it,” she said. “We can either put in a lot of energy and look at it optimistically or we can concede defeat before it even starts.”
