Girls’ soccer: 8-0-1 record comes despite obstacles

The varsity girls’ soccer team poses together after a 6-0 away game win against Monta Vista High School on Feb. 3.

From a lack of JV team to no returning goalkeepers, the girls’ varsity soccer team was quick to adapt to unexpected changes

The varsity girls’ soccer team continues to lead their league, currently boasting a 8-0-1 record. They found recent success with 3-0 and 2-0 wins against Cupertino on Jan 21. and Jan. 27, respectively; 1-0 win against Fremont on Jan. 25; 9-0 win against Milpitas on Feb. 1; and 6-0 against Monta Vista on Feb. 3.

The team’s success has been in spite of this season’s lack of players and personnel changes.

Four-year varsity athlete adjusts to co-captain role

After having played varsity for four years, senior outside defender Casey Gilligan is now a co-captain, joining captains midfielder Lauren Yarrington and outside defender Emma Foley, who have also played on varsity since their freshman year.

“We almost grew through the program together, so getting to work as captains together has been really special now that we’re seniors,” Gilligan said.

Gilligan’s main strategy when working with the team is welcoming all types of players. She recalled how younger players can be intimidated by the stereotype of older players looking down on younger players, and has been actively trying to be approachable to underclassmen.

However, she still expects everyone to perform to the best of their abilities, including herself. As a co-captain, she sees her presence on the field being more prominent than in previous years. She has been making an effort to be more talkative and communicative to the members throughout practices and games.

“There is a lot of great talent on the team, and I’m really proud of everyone,” Gilligan said. “I think everyone’s on the same team for a reason, and making sure everyone is included is really important.”

Freshman earns playing time on the varsity squad

When freshman Anika Kapasi walked into tryouts in early November, the last thing she expected was to make the varsity squad, let alone start for it. However, as the season progressed, head coach Ben Maxwell recognized her growth, and she secured the defensive midfielder position on varsity.

“During my first game on varsity, there were a bunch of butterflies in my stomach,” Kapasi said. “I kind of forgot to breathe because I was so nervous. I just didn’t want to let my new teammates down.”

Kapasi plays competitively for the All Stars United Soccer Club, and said the high school environment has been a much more “chill experience.” She added that playing with girls outside of her age group has been a great learning experience, especially since she is younger than most of her teammates.

Going into the season, Kapasi was concerned about playing at the same level as the upperclassmen and rising to their level of camaraderie and leadership.

“I’ve learned how to lead by looking at the captains because they’re always so uplifting, and they just want us to grow and get better,” Kapasi said. “They’ve taught me how to be more aggressive, and get more involved and confident in the way I play.”

Senior adjusts to goalkeeper position

During the 2020-21 girls’ soccer season, senior Raina Hirekatur played left wing on the varsity team, with practically no goalkeeper experience. When head coach Ben Maxwell voiced his need for a goalkeeper, however, Hirekatur decided to step up.

“Nobody really wanted to volunteer to be goalkeeper, but obviously we needed one,” she said. “I told Coach Ben that I would accept the responsibility if it came to it, and I’ve been playing this position ever since.”

Goalkeeper coach Brian Coleman has trained Hirekatur throughout the season, giving her “personalized goalie attention.” While the rest of the team goes through technical drills during their daily practices, Colemon takes Hirekatur through drills he discovered on Instagram.

Hiretakur has grown into her new role this season, only conceding one goal so far in the regular season. She said that while adjusting to the goalkeeper position has been “nerve-racking at times,” she also said that staying in goal can get boring because of the team’s strong defense.

“I know I came in with very limited experience as a goalkeeper, but I think that through training, I’ve done a really good job and improved a lot,” Hirekatur said. “I’m really glad I decided to put myself out there, and try something different.”