Varsity girls’ soccer team makes school history as league champions

Lyndsey+Mitchell+%289%29+dribbles+the+ball+down+the+field+during+the+January+13+game+against+Castilleja.+The+girls+are+now+league+champions+for+the+first+time+in+school+history.++%0A

Riya Chandra

Lyndsey Mitchell (9) dribbles the ball down the field during the January 13 game against Castilleja. The girls are now league champions for the first time in school history.

Following last night’s 4-0 victory against Summit Prep, the Varsity girls’ soccer team clinched the league championship for the first time in school history.

Kailee Gifford (9) scored twice, while Joelle Anderson (9) and Gabriela Gupta (11) each scored once, helping the team to improve its record to 8-1-1 in league and 12-2-1 overall.

“They played strongly. Summit [Prep] came out the first fifteen minutes really gunning. It was a very different team at their place than it was when we played at our place,” head coach John Docherty said. “The girls did a great job. They kept to the game plan and produced the goods.”

The girls’ soccer program has improved drastically throughout the last four years. During the 2010-2011 season, the current senior’s freshman year, the team won zero games. This year, the players are league champs.

“I’m really proud of where we’ve come,” co-captain Apurva Gorti (12) said. “It was a really rewarding victory.”

The team has a single playoff game tomorrow at 3:30 at King’s Academy. A victory will secure the final West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) CCS berth for the team, continuing their history-making streak.

“[To prepare] we’ve just been doing the usual, honestly,” Nikita Parulkar (11) said. “I think our team this year is just very talented”

Despite tomorrow’s results, this season will be one to remember.

“The season’s already been a success. The girls have developed, they’ve had a good time, they’ve enjoyed it,” Docherty said. “Anything beyond winning the championship is gravy.”