After making it to the playoffs last season, the Freedom girls soccer team is ready to bounce back for another great season. The record from last year was 12-2, and they hope to pull through with more wins this year. Last year’s playoff record was 4-2, and the group wants to see the playoffs again. 

Since the previous year, the team has lost six key players. The seniors who graduated last year were Grace White, Taylor DiMarzio, Cadence Gorajewski, Isabella Lowe, Olivia Evans and Renae Mohrbacher. Three of these girls who graduated were also captains. This means some new players would have to step up and be leaders. Seniors Jersee Melvin, Finley Paxton and Julia Mohrbacher were chosen to be this year’s captains. Speaking of stepping up, the team has also gained freshman players this year who are getting their first taste of varsity soccer. 

“We have a little variation this year of players, and I think we’ll do pretty well. I think we’ll come through the section pretty good,” Head Coach Colin Williams said. 

The girls started the season with a scrimmage on Aug. 20 by traveling to Char Houston. The Bulldogs took the victory with a score of 4-3. The team was back on the road with another scrimmage when Central Valley hosted them on Aug. 24, also winning with a score of 3-1. 

The first official game of the season was on Aug. 27 against the Beaver Bobcats. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs fell short with a score of 5-3. The girls were supposed to play Sewickley Academy, but the game got rescheduled for Sept. 17, where the two teams will face off in Sewickley.

The girls bounced back on Aug. 31 when they hosted Riverside, defeating the Panthers 9-1. This impressive high-scoring game also came with quite an impressive stat line. Junior Shaye Bailey led the game in scoring, putting up three goals. Senior Megan Evans scored two goals, followed by sophomore Riley Tokar, junior Morgan Keller, senior Kaylee Ostrowski and senior Julia Mohrbacher, all having scored one goal each.

“Every practice we’re doing better and better, and every game we’re doing better and better,” Bailey said. 

On Sept. 1, the Bulldogs traveled to Montour. The game ended in a loss for Freedom with a 2-1 score. The team got back to practice in order to prepare for the next game. They hosted Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH), ending in a win with a score of 2-0. 

On Sept. 10, the girls played Quaker Valley at home with the game ending in a score of 5-3, in favor of the Bulldogs.

The Freedom girls also took on Mohawk at home on Sept. 12. Much like the game against Quaker Valley, the Bulldogs came out on top with a score of 5-0.

The team played West Allegheny on Sept. 15, ending with a loss, 4-3. 

The girls are getting back to practice to prepare for the upcoming games in hope to get some wins and see the playoffs.