Only two days after getting back from spring break, the Ranger girls’ soccer team was able to get a win in its first away game.

On Wednesday, the girls traveled to Byron Center in a tough match-up. This game was both the first conference game and away game of the year which definitely raised the stakes for this game. “Byron Center is always a really big rivalry game for us so there’s always a lot of pressure in a game like that,” said junior captain Gigi Sinicrope. This added pressure didn’t seem to phase the girls going into the game as Gigi went on to say, “I was confident in the team because I felt we came in really prepared and intense.” This became evident as the game went on.

The girls took an early lead thanks to a goal scored by junior Ayla Thompson who also scored a second later on in the game. When asked about how she did it, Ayla said, “I was able to score two goals because of the intensity throughout the game. My first goal was in the first 10 seconds of the game and we came out prepared with high intensity to win and score.” Besides Ayla’s two goals, juniors Syd Ryan and Haley Ward were able to get their names on the scoresheet. From the start, the girls brought a high intensity which prevailed them to their first conference win of the season with a score of 4-1.

Since their first game, the girls have seemed to have started to get into a grove. While it is still very early in the season, the team has already made improvements that have led them to success. When asked about what changed that led to the positive results, junior Maya Sneider said, “One thing that the team has been able to improve on this season is our communication on and off the field. I think that the dynamic of the game has changed now that we have talked more.” This increase in communication has really helped the girls grow in chemistry and become a well-connected unit. The girls will continue to grow as a team as the season roars on with many tough games still in store.

The girls’ next game will be Friday, April 14 away against Hudsonville. This game will be tough due to Hudsonville being a solid team and having a grass field which will be the girls’ first game on grass. However, the team is still ready, as Maya said, “Hudsonville is a good team and I can’t wait to see how the game plays out”.