Competing in the Kickapoo Tournament proved to be a challenge for the RBHS Varsity girls’ soccer team, as the Bruins lost two matches in a row on April 18 and 19. However, the girls pulled out on top, finishing with an exciting win by the end of the weekend.
In their first game on April 18 against Rockwood Summit, the varsity girls lost 1-2, which proved to be a devastating loss for the team. It didn’t help that the following day, in a game competing against Nixa, the team faced another loss of 0-2. Despite the consecutive losses, senior varsity midfielder Breta Phillips explains that the losses were indeed surprising, but lessons can be learned from the mistakes exhibited.
“It’s kind of weird, I can’t quite understand how we are losing,” Phillips said. “There are so many amazing players on the team this year, but we are just not meshing on the field yet. We are getting close though. The thing about the games we lost is that if we could be consistent with the intensity on our plays, we would have won.”
Senior Carly Raetz, who is also a defensive player on the varsity team said that, like Phillips, she is disappointed with the results of the tournament, but is proud of the determination exerted by her teammates. For Raetz, one of the best things about her RBHS varsity girls soccer team is the team’s ability to never give up. Regardless of any downfalls, Raetz explains that the team continues to strive to achieve it’s maximum potential.
“I always love spending time with the team, and in tournaments you get a lot of that time together,” Raetz said. “As a team, I definitely think we learned that we have an enormous amount of potential, but we just have to work to reach it every game.”
And this potential was achieved, according to Phillips, once the varsity girls won their final game of the Kickapoo Tournament against Kickapoo, with a final score of 3-1. The previous losses proved to serve as learning experiences for the team as the girls exhibited refined skills that allowed them to snag a victory in the final match.
“The game we won was beautiful. The first half was somewhat slow, but the second was lovely,” Phillips said. “We were connecting passes, making great runs and finishing our shots.”
From the ups and downs of the tournament, Phillips explains that both the wins and losses provide the necessary information and realizations for the varsity team to rebound and push towards succeeding in their future games.
By Manal Salim
“The tournament was a good team bonding experience,” Phillips said, “and we definitely have a better idea of what will happen if we come on to the field flat with very little energy and if we’re not hyped up for the game.”
