![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Varsity girls soccer defeated Mills High School 5-1 on Friday at Davis Field.
Harker secured first possession, and midfielder Eva Cheng (11) attempted a shot just minutes into the first half. The Eagles continued taking shots, consistently keeping the ball near the Mills’ goal by dodging defenders and making continuous passes.
With 38 minutes left in the first half, midfielder Ava Zarkesh (10) scored the Eagles’ first goal off of a corner kick. Forward Claire Anderson (12) maintained the Eagles’ momentum, making another goal shortly after.
Spectator Sahil Varma (12) applauded the skill Claire employed to net this goal.
“It was really cool when Claire dribbled, cut back and then made a girl stumble over because she didn’t know what to do,” Sahil said. “Then Claire shot the ball and it went into the top corner of the goal.”
Mills responded with an attempt on goal, but goalkeeper Kylie Anderson (12) blocked the shot to keep the Eagles ahead 2-0. Following back-and-forth play, Eva attempted consecutive shots, with the first bouncing off the goalpost and the second flying just above the goal.
Claire secured one more goal for the Eagles with 15 minutes left in the half, pushing the Eagles’ lead to 3-0. The Eagles kept up their defense as Kylie blocked two close goal attempts from the Vikings. The first half ended with a score of 3-0.
Spectator Zachary Blue, who graduated Harker in the Class of ‘24, commended the Eagles for their composed defense and strategic offense throughout this game.
“They’re really good under pressure,” Zachary said. “They’re really good at passing the ball when the opposing defense is pressuring them, and they’re really good at dribbling up the wings and then finding chances to score every time.”
In the second half, the Eagles maintained their pace from the first half by executing play after play. Kylie made another save with 35 minutes remaining on the clock, and Eva extended Harker’s lead to 4-0 at the 25-minute mark. Defender Natalie Barth (11) then scored by capitalizing on a mistake by the Mills’ goalkeeper, who ran ahead and left the goal open. Mills managed to score a goal towards the end of the game, and the match later concluded with a final score of 5-1.
Kylie highlighted how the match provided valuable opportunities for the team before heading into the regular season.
“It was a good opportunity to get some of the players that don’t get a ton of minutes in the game because we went up pretty early,” Kylie said. “We played well. It’s the last preseason game, so I’d say that makes me feel pretty good going into the season.”
The team currently stands at a record of 5-2 overall and will play the Menlo School at home today.
