On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Phoenix girls field hockey team played the Dominion Titans in an 8-0 loss. 

The Phoenix struggled in the first quarter, with the Titans scoring six goals to finish the quarter 6-0. However, the Phoenix strengthened their defense in the second quarter by taking the ball into Titan territory. Fighting hard, the Phoenix only allowed two goals to be scored, leaving the score 8-0 at the end of the half. 

During the third quarter, the Phoenix battled to keep the scoreboard gridlocked, utilizing their teamwork to strategically keep possession of the ball within the enemy zone. Although the game ended on a mercy rule for the Phoenix, they vastly improved on the plays from early season, creating new experiences and camaraderie for the rookie players. “Yeah, [we see the mercy rule a lot]; [last game] was the first time I played four quarters,” sophomore captain Daniele Rojas said.

Thursday was the team’s senior night, in which parents and team members alike came together to celebrate the team’s two seniors, Montse Betancourt (manager) and Cassy Kisten (22). They also came to support the team’s growth and perseverance over the season. With a completely new roster of rookies this year, the team wanted to create a fresh start and improve their skills, communication, and playmaking together, especially as they end this season and head into the next one. “They just started, so it’s [best] to have a lot of patience, right?” coach Pepe Rojas said. “Maybe this year is rough, but next year, all of these girls are going to have a lot of experience.” 

The team members have bettered each other and hope to start next year off better with more practice, games, and camaraderie under their belt. “It’s been a lot better than last season, definitely,” Daniele Rojas said. “I feel like as a team we’re getting better, especially because it’s the last few weeks of the season.” The Phoenix have seen a continuous trend of improved defense as well as a new long-lasting friendship. “We went from [scores of ] 0-12 to 0-4, so that’s an improvement,” Anshika Atluri said.

Gallery • 9 Photos

Lucian Tiller

Junior Pranika Gaddam (8) sprints up the field with freshman Shreya Gurijala (3) in a team effort to force the ball out of the defensive end of the field and into the offensive end. “One of the things that we do during practice is [calling] things out, to call for help, and it’s really important,” Pepe Rojas said. “I also heard that today the girls were trying to ask for help [and] calling to each other.”