Sports teams from high school all the way up to the professional level have experienced stark disappointment in the last year due to cancellations because of COVID-19. Many athletes and students were left wondering if they would get a season at all for this year or if they would have to face disappointment again, but to the delight of the team and coach however, Liberty North’s Women’s Soccer team will be back to play this year full of fresh talent and optimism. 

   “I’m really excited for this season. I was expecting a really good season last year when we were shut down. We had a lot of really good players with a lot of experience and only one of those girls graduated last year. We have a handful of new players who may fill in any areas where we may have had issues with depth. Our second 11 players would be starters at many other schools in the area and many of our sub varsity players would be varsity players at other schools. There are just a lot of really good players in this school,” Coach Steven Person said. 

   Even though the previous season was cut short and it had a big effect on the athletic portion of some people’s lives, the women’s soccer team still pushes for improvement and teamwork from all of its players. 

   “My high school soccer career has definitely been difficult because Covid took away last year’s season and I had a concussion for most of my sophomore year, but now I am excited to see what senior year brings. I have really high hopes for this season, because we have a lot of new and talented players and everyone is working so hard to prepare. We have a really positive team dynamic; everyone gets along pretty well and it definitely shows on the field. The team environment is so positive and you just create such strong friendships with people,” senior Maya Jones said. 

   Some players’ passion for soccer goes beyond the high school level. Many play for club teams, and multiple students, such as seniors Maya Jones and Lauren Hinnenkamp, have already signed to play in college. 

   “Playing for the school is definitely a different experience than club soccer because you are playing for so much more and representing your school, and it doesn’t weigh much on my personal life because it’s fun. I signed with the University of Central Oklahoma. I was motivated to continue to do what I love, and I knew I would be bored without it,” Hinnenkamp said.

____________________________________

Girls Soccer Schedule as of 2/16: