After making a run to the state quarterfinals last year and coming in first place in the Emerald Sound Conference, UPrep girls soccer kicked off their season with a 2-1 loss to Lakeside in a friendly.
“I was super nervous, but coming out of it I was happy that we scored on them on their home turf,” Sophomore midfielder Evie Pagulayan said. “Obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted, but only losing by one to a big school like that is a win in my book.”
The goal was scored by Sophomore forward Grey Donsbach in the second half, but it wasn’t enough.
“I think we got our rhythm down, and we had lots of good combinations,” Donsbach said. “I was kinda shocked at the goal. I didn’t think it was going to go in.”
Lakeside is a 3A Metro school, and two of their players are ineligible for high school sports because they play on the US U-17 National Team.
“The first game is always really fascinating as a coach, because it’s the first time you get to see your players in a game,” Coach Niki Harris said. “We played on grass, which was a little bit different, but I didn’t hear one complaint and I thought we moved the ball really well.”
Three days later, UPrep faced off against Klahowya secondary school. It was tied up 1-1 at halftime, with 9th grade midfielder Lucy Houser finding the net for the Pumas.
After a Klahowya goal, Senior midfielder and team captain Rian Fitzpatrick scored a goal to avoid a loss.
“Being a captain isn’t about being the best on the field, it’s about being a leader,” Fitzpatrick said. “People aspire to have that little spark that they see in me. But it’s sometimes a little nerve wracking because I need to watch my attitude.”
They followed that up with winning a key conference game against King’s by a score of 2-0, with Donsbach and sophomore midfielder/defender Isla Maron scoring in the first half. At one point, the Pumas even strung together 22 consecutive passes.
“It was the best I’d ever seen us play,” Harris said. “It was great to see what we’re capable of, but the second half was a different story, so a big thing this year for us is going to be consistency.”
Thanks to a clean sheet each half from goalies Sophomore Tristan Fitzpatrick and ninth-grader Julia Cutting, the Pumas held on for the win. “Not much goes through my mind after a shutout,” Tristan said. “My mind stays on the goals that were scored by us.”
The Pumas’ next game against Eastside Prep would prove difficult, as they were faced with a potent offense, blaring sun, and exhausting heat. Eastside Prep broke through with an early chance, but were shut down by a save from Fitzpatrick.
Sophomore midfielder Allison Chavez Cruz then opened up the scoring in the 18th minute with a shot from outside the box.
“We’re trying to get her more involved in attacking play and get her confidence up, so that was great,” Harris said.
The shot was assisted by 9th-grade midfielder Lucy Houser.
UPrep maintained the advantage after Tristan snagged a shot off a long free kick. The game would soon be evened, as despite an initial save, the ball trickled in behind Tristan’s hands, and the first half would end in a 1-1 tie.
“Part of it was definitely a miscommunication,” Tristan said. “The relationship between a goalie and defenders is really fun, but you have to make sure to comfort them in case they make a mistake.”
The Pumas pressed the attack for most of the second half, with Donsbach having a goal taken away by the post and Junior midfielder Sophia Smith misplaying a throughball. Another quality chance was ruined by a diving save from the Eastside Prep goalie.
“I think we can all improve on how we respond when things don’t go our way, myself especially,” Fitzpatrick said.
The winning goal was eventually conceded by Cutting.
As of Sept. 25, the Pumas are in 5th place in the league, with an overall record of 1-2-2. While Harris has seen some bright spots, she admits that there’s still work to be done.
“It’s a learning opportunity,” Harris said. “I hope that they’re disappointed, because at the end of the day we just have to learn from this and do better next time.”
