Last year, Girls Varsity Soccer dominated its playing season, ending the season as the Pacific League Champions! On the strength of their perfect Pacific League season to date, the Lady Apaches hold on to the No. 1 ranking in the current Pasadena Star News Girls Soccer poll. With the most recent decisive wins against both Burbank High School and Herbert Hoover High School, the team has one last league game against Crescenta Valley High School. Senior Kaylin Pascasio says, “We’ve only had one goal and that is to win and get that CIF ring. This year, as a team, we’ve had our ups and downs and a rocky start to the season, but as we’re entering CIF, I think we’re at our strongest point. If we keep doing what we’re doing and keep playing how we’re playing, then, we will be invincible.” The Arcadia Apaches girls soccer team lost Tuesday’s neutral playoff game against South by a score of 1-0. This game was part of the 2017 CIF Southern Section Ford Girls Soccer Playoff – Division 3.

Like any team, however, the girls of Varsity Soccer know where they need to improve and what their current strengths are. Junior Madison Zordilla reflects on the team’s skills: “Strengths: communication on and off the field. We mesh well as a team and with each other. However, we sometimes fail to utilize our communication on the field in our games.” The girls hope to improve their game in time for CIFs. “We’re really working on connecting and communicating. However, we work extremely well when everyone contributes and plays as a team,” says Madison.

As the season draws to a close, the girls reflect on their favorite moments of the season – from highlights to forming friendships. Prior to the game against CVHS on Thursday, Senior Paige Acosta said, “It is our last league game with this group of seniors, so I think that that is going to be our best memory.” However, for some players, the conclusion of the season is bittersweet. Seniors, especially, feel their high school careers coming to an end with a possible soccer future in the college of their choice. Regarding her future in soccer, Kaylin speaks bittersweetly: “As a senior, it definitely stings knowing that high school soccer is coming to an end…But on the bright side, may of us are moving on to play at the college level and we’re all moving on to bigger and better things! I think I speak for all the seniors when I say that we’re excited to move onto the next page in our lives!

So, since league play has ended for our Apache Girls of Varsity Soccer, they are off to achieve great things in future, whether it be at the college level or next year at AHS!

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Photo by BRANDON CHEN