The Beachwood girls soccer team overcame the undefeated Brush Arcs 4-0 on Monday Sept. 9.
Co-Captain Eden Bergman knew it would be a challenge.
“Going into the game we knew it was going to be intense and physical because of how last year’s game had gone,” she said. “Last year it was a very physical game, and we had a good win for us, so we knew Brush was going to come in hard.”
Knowing this, they went into the game with energy, ready to take advantage of their strengths.
“Being able to use the speed and space that Marley Readence gives us on the wing leads us to capitalize on our opponent,” Bergman said. “We went into the game knowing we had to prove ourselves and play our best to show that we deserved our win last year and could do it again.”
Readence, who led the team with two assists and one goal, provided game-winning plays that the other team simply couldn’t keep up with.
The Bison were ecstatic to win this intense game over Brush.
“It felt like a really good accomplishment to beat an undefeated team,” Bergman said. “They had been on a winning streak, and their confidence was very high, so being able to come in, play our game and win was really great for our team’s mindset.”
Improved communication also played a role in the win.
“I was super proud of how our team played and thought it was one of our best games,” Co-Captain Lilah Droe said. “As we get deeper in the season we have become much more connected as a team, and it is starting to show in our games and our record.”
The team has shown improvement throughout the year and continues to win games.
At publication the Bison are 4-2 (2-1 in CVC). They are scheduled to play at Euclid at 5:00 on Monday, Sept. 16.
Bison Fall to Orange
by Jaycob Zabell
Beachwood girls soccer faced a disheartening defeat on Thursday, Aug. 23, against their rival Orange.
The game ended in a close 1-0 loss for the Bison. Despite the narrow margin and the frustration of the outcome, the team is determined to remain a positive mindset and stay focused as they look ahead at the rest of the season.
“I’m disappointed with the loss, but I’m also eager to move forward and build on what we’ve learned from this game,” co-captain Eden Bergman said.
In spite of the loss, Bergman’s mood was optimistic.
“There are always areas where we can improve, especially since this is only our second game of the season,” she said. “It’s natural to encounter challenges with positioning and overall play at this early stage. However, I’m truly impressed with the team’s effort and determination throughout the game.”
Bergman pointed out that early-season games are crucial for identifying weaknesses and areas for improvement.
“These initial games often expose aspects of our play that need refining,” she said. “Moving forward, our focus in the next couple of practices will be to address and correct these mistakes. As the saying goes, ‘practice makes perfect,’ and I believe that’s going to hold true for us.”
Senior Hannah Yakubov also offered a candid assessment of their game.
“I think I definitely could’ve played harder,” Yakubov said. “We didn’t fully tap into our potential.”
“While there was some good effort, we could have played more aggressively and made better use of the opportunities presented by the other team’s mistakes,” she added. “Our plan was to come out strong, but I think we lacked a bit of the energy and drive we needed. We’re committed to working harder in practice to address these issues and to improve our performance.”
Yakubov emphasized the importance of intensity and focus in practice to ensure the team is better prepared for future games.
The team views this loss as a valuable learning experience and is focused on using it as a source of determination throughout the season.
Girls Soccer Opens Season With Win Against Willoughby South
By Allie Rindsberg
Beachwood’s girls soccer team started their season off hot, with an incredible 1-0 win over Willoughby South on Tuesday, Aug. 20
Senior co-captain Eden Bergman reflected on the team’s performance.
“Everyone was communicating and really connected in our playing. We let each other know what needed to be done to play our best,” she said.
Bergman highlighted the importance of teammates supporting one another and holding each other accountable.
“It was a lot of constructive criticism, which helps rather than being rude about giving advice,” she said.
Junior co-captain Lilah Droe commented on the team’s outstanding performance.
“The game was really competitive, and it was definitely one of the best games I’ve seen us play at Beachwood,” she said.
Bergman is proud that the team came prepared to work.
“I think it started in the warm up,” she said. “We warmed up really strongly. There wasn’t a lot of chit-chatting and I think that that traveled with us from the beginning to the end.”
Droe emphasized the team’s positive attitude.
“We came in knowing we wanted to win and with a great mindset that we haven’t always had,” she said.
Bergman scored the first and only goal for the Bison and described what the moment felt like.
“It was just fun for us,” she said. “We lost to them 2-0 last season, so going out there and scoring on them in the first half was very exciting. It was also my first ever goal, so everyone was really excited for me.”
Bergman explains that there aren’t many breaks during the game, so they worked together to pick each other up.
“We were all very motivating to each other,” she said. “Our team is very small, and we don’t have a lot of subs, so to play that long is very hard, so we all just try to keep each other in check and make sure that we are all still working hard for the time that we are on the field.”
Droe wants the team to stay focused on the basics.
“The key to a good soccer game is to play simple and not play chaotic,” she said. “It’s important to keep it under control even when we are scared. Communication is also essential to keep things clean. Without communicating, it just looks messy.”
Droe hopes to see the team win the Chagrin Valley Conference. Bergman wants to take it one game at a time.
“I feel like this game set us up really well for the rest of the season,” Bergman said. “I want us to keep playing this way. I want us to leave every game feeling like it was a good game, whether the score says it or not. Just feeling like we worked hard.”
Travis Has Mixed Emotions for Senior Season
By Mia Shcherbakov
Senior Londyn Travis is excited for her senior season with the beachwood girls soccer program.
“Although it’s my last year, there is so much room for this team to grow,” she said. “We have been through a lot together.”
She has mixed emotions about her fourth and final season.
“It’s very sentimental and bittersweet,” she said.
Travis has been impressed by freshmen Mia Brecher and Julia Bravo stepping up and showing hard work so far.
She describes the team as close-knit.
“We have a fun group, especially on varsity, we all get along,” she said. “I think we are really going in the right direction.”
She feels the team can improve on consistency between games and keeping their heads up.
“If we have an off practice, it will mess up the game,” she said
As a team, just learning to shake it off is a goal.
Travis appreciates the fun she has with her teammates.
“Its all about the community,” she said. “It’s something fun to do.”
She explains that girls soccer is open to all ranges of experiences.
“You don’t have to be good,” she said. “We have players on JV who have never played.”
Travis’s hopes to win the CVC conference this year, but is also just hoping to have a great year.
“We are the best we have ever been,” she said.