On October 30, the girls varsity soccer team reclaimed the crown as DCIAA champions in a 3-0 victory over School Without Walls.
With new head coach Kelle Bevine and a rebranded team culture, the Tigers have reached new heights. The team finished 18-3, their best record since 2015 and remained undefeated within regular season conference play for the fifth consecutive year.
After a bye for their ranking going into the tournament, the team began the DCIAA semifinals against Banneker on a high. “That was a game we loved to play,” said junior defender Celia Joldersma, crediting the opportunity to build confidence and find rhythm. “Most of the time that is a 10-0 win for us.” In the end, the Tigers won the game 11-1.
The Tigers came ready to play against the Penguins in the conference finals. After losing to Walls in that same game last year, the defeat was fresh on their minds. Bevine remembered the 2023 loss well: “Last year’s loss was devastating. When the team was given the opportunity of a rematch a year later, [they said that they] were not gonna make that mistake again.”
In a blowout, the Tigers were victorious, winning 3-0. A momentum building moment came early on from a corner kick by junior midfielder Sonora Hale, which set up senior captain forward Rowan McCrary for their first goal. Senior captain forward Clara Durante quickly followed up the team’s first goal with one of her own to put the Tigers up by two.
Coming out of halftime, the Tigers refused to let up and continued to dominate Walls, smothering them defensively. To cap off the incredible all around performance, senior captain forward Olivia Heinemann cemented their victory with a goal in the 63rd minute.
Atop the city once again, Bevine could only express her pride for the team. Heinemann acknowledged the value in the championship “as it represented growth in our team since last season.” Joldersma put it simply: “This could not have gone better.”
Using the momentum from the conference title, the Tigers geared up for DCSAA playoffs. For the quarterfinals, JR went up against the Maret Frogs on their home turf. Previously this season, the Tigers went home with a tight 4-3 victory in Maret’s homecoming game. Despite the previous win, the girls were not overconfident, as Heinemann said that the game was “scary at first,” but they managed to go “in with confidence.”
The Frogs proved no match for the Tigers, who won 3-0.
Unfortunately, this continued momentum did not carry the team through the rest of DCSAA playoffs. Though the Tigers lost to the eventual champions St. Johns in the semifinals with a score of 1-0, the girls didn’t let the loss define their season. In all, the Tigers remember their incredible 18-3 record and DCIAA championship.
Bevine is already looking toward next year and is focused on how to rebuild the program, since the team is losing eight starting seniors. “How can we make sure we put together the strongest team going forward? I’m looking forward to that.” Bevine is optimistic and knows that next season will be both “a challenge and fun.” •
