This past Friday the RBHS girls’  soccer team began their regular season at Sell’s Field with a four team jamboree against Smith-Cotton, Battle and Hickman.
The jamboree was structured so that every team would play each other in a single 30 minute game with no stoppage time.
In the Bruins first game they defeated Smith-Cotton 2-0 with goals from junior forward Molly Klein and freshman forward Claire Cain.
For Klein it was her first varsity game as a Bruin as last year she was forced to play junior varsity after transferring.
“It felt really good [to play varsity],” Klein said. “I was excited to be with the team and you know I was just ready to go start our season.”
In the Bruins next game Klein continued her scoring ways putting away a pass from junior forward Molly Gunter in the 13th minute to record the deciding goal of the game against Battle as the Bruins would win 1-0.
“The first goal I just got on a break away from the 50 yard line and I just stepped over the ball and hit it one time,” Klein said. “Then the second goal Molly Gunter had a flick from the half line and I was on another breakaway.”
In the last game and premier matchup of the night the Bruins played Hickman to a 30 minute draw. The best scoring chance for either side occurred in the 11th minute when the ball squirted away from Bruin keeper, senior Sydney Mulholland and trickled towards the open goal before being booted out of bounds by senior Katie Cook.
Senior captain and University of Central Missouri signee Sydney Griggs didn’t play during the jamboree due to injury but was optimistic about the team’s performance.
“I thought it was a game based on nerves, we’re just trying to shake off all of our nerves right now but we’ve learned a lot position wise and technically,” Griggs said. “We’re going to go into practice fixing some things, watching film and go from there and it’s going to be good.”
Both Klein and sophomore midfielder Julia Bower believe the team can improve on communication during games and playing together as a team.
“For not having played together outside very much or being in our set positions I think we did pretty well,” Bower said. “We just need to work on connecting passes. I’m excited for this season. I think it’ll be a good season and we’re connected better this year than we were last year so i think that’ll help.”