SJC girls' soccer is confident as fall rolls on

Soccer is one of the most competitive sports in the DMV, and the SJC girls’ soccer team is stepping up to the challenge. After starting off the season strong with three consecutive wins and a perfect league record, the varsity team is shaping up to be an incredibly solid team.

Led by Head Coach Allison Diaz and JV Coach Cesar Avelar, girls’ soccer is expected to perform well this season. Coach Diaz said, “The team is picking up where it left off last year, hoping to again be in the WCAC finals.”

The varsity team, with not only five sophomores but two freshmen as well, also features the 2018 Gatorade DC Player of the Year, Maliah Morris ’19. The senior led the team to a 19-1 record last year, as well as the WCAC and DCSAA championships, and is expected to rise to the occasion again this year.

Of their season so far, goalkeeper Riley Johnson ’19 said, “We’re doing pretty well this year – we’ve only lost two games and they were out of conference.” The team currently has a 3-0 league record and a 4-1 overall record. She points out that they “beat PVI, who we lost to in the championship last year, so we’re looking pretty good.”

Confidence in the team’s chances seems high, as midfielder Casey Merz ’20 said, “We’ll be back strong this year, and hopefully make it to the championship. We’re looking forward to getting the ring second year in a row.”

Just as Gonzaga is the team to beat for SJC football, Good Counsel seems like the soccer team’s rival. “We play them pretty soon, so that’ll be a big deal [since] they’ve been talking a lot about beating us,” Merz said. “I think we’re ready for it, especially since they’ve been saying stuff.”