The last week of April placed a great opportunity upon RGSO, as it got a chance to pick up two more conference wins during the week. Girls varsity soccer faced off against Lowell and Grand Rapids Christian this week for two regular-season OK White clashes. The girls no3 get a chance to extend their lead of first place in the conference, as they could pick up two more solid wins. After that, they will face off with Unity Christian to end the week.

In the first match of the week against Lowell, the Rangers took control of the game early, drilling the back net several times. Senior Theyrn Hallock netted two goals, and seniors Stella Sutton, Ruthie VanSkiver, and Lauren Koczenasz also each scored one. Lowell would manage to put up one goal, but in the end, FHC outlasted the Red Arrows as juniors Dailey Tucker and Mackenzie Wintrich put in one more goal each to help the Rangers take home a 7-1 victory.

The defense, led by Stella, freshman Lauren Coon, and seniors Mattie Sexton and Maggie Hier, has continued to play at a very efficient rate as they continue to lock down opposing offenses one after another. Add in strong play from senior goalie Ava Wilberding to the already powerhouse defense. It’s become apparent that the Rangers have a back core that they can rely on all the way through the playoffs.

Next, FHC moved on to match up with Grand Rapids Christian, which remained a tad closer than the Lowell game two days prior. After an early strike from GRC that found the back of the net, Hallock took things personally. Theryn then went on to score another hat trick to add to her season total, with two goals in the first and one in the second. Elsewhere, VanSkiver put one in the back of the net to help ease the Rangers into a 4-1 victory over the Eagles.

Lastly, RGSO got to face off with the well-known Michigan powerhouse Unity Christian. The game would be a highlighted match-up for the Rangers, as they get a shot at a very successful out-of-conference opponent. In the game, Unity Christian maintained control of the ball throughout the majority of the ninety minutes. The Crusaders executed well on the offensive end and took advantage of a well-timed penalty shot. In the end, Unity Christian defeated FHC 4-0.

FHC is now 8-2 on the season and 5-0 in conference play. All the girls have to do to clinch the one seed for the conference tournament is continue to control the pace of the game and win their upcoming games versus East Grand Rapids and Northview next week. The girls are very optimistic about the future as they continue to control their destiny.

“It’s important for us to continue to become closer as a team and work as a unit on the field,” Ava Wilberding spoke. “Big 5’s (first 5 minutes, 5 minutes after a goal, and the last 5 minutes) are a big emphasis for us, and we have done very well on capitalizing on those moments. We need to continue that. Also, putting together two full 40-minute halves and not dropping our urgency and intensity level is important.”