The girls soccer team won 3-0 against Sierra Canyon School at Ted Slavin Field on Jan. 27. The victory brought their overall record to 9-3-4.
Girls Soccer Program Head Richard Simms said the team focused on having positive attitudes, supporting each other and acknowledging that teamwork off the field improves performance on the field.
“We made a big emphasis on the energy that we come with every day,” Simms said. “We spent a lot of time on bringing positive energy and being encouraging, supportive and being a good teammate. We want to be really high-functioning in the way we interact and the way we show up, because we know that if we do the work with soccer, that’s going to help us be high-performing. We’re going to be a championship team if we are both high-functioning and high-performing.”
Goalkeeper Sasha Selvaggio ’27 said she enjoys seeing the team build better chemistry, with younger players taking initiative and making contributions.
“My favorite moment this season has been watching us grow and become closer as a team,” Selvaggio said. “This is a really exciting year for us, and our energy on and off the field has been amazing. I’m proud of how our underclassmen have really stepped up this season. We’re a young team, and the younger players have found ways to contribute and make a real impact.”
Simms said the team made progress by working together, something they struggled with at the beginning of the season.
“The major improvement for us has been cohesion,” Simms said. “We had a lot of individuals who were not on the same page in the early part of the season, either not executing the game plan or not communicating effectively. Some showed signs of stress or frustration, which came out in a negative way, where they’re getting irritated with a teammate, or withdrawn and not performing to the best of their ability. It’s a team sport, so our ability to be cohesive is critical, and we’ve grown a lot in that area.”
Wingback Riley Romans ’27 said she initially struggled to communicate with her teammates but realized it was necessary for growth.
“The biggest challenge was improving my heading and communication,” Romans said. “Those aren’t my strongest skills, but I knew I needed them to help the team. I worked on both in practice, and I’ve definitely gotten better.”
Co-Captain Simone Puthasnanon ’26 said she wants the team to continue improving and aim for the CIF championship.
“For the rest of the season, I just want to continue down this path that we are on,” Puthasnanon said. “We are really coming together both on and off the field, and hopefully we can win the league as well as CIF.”
