Ending the season with an overall record of 10-4-1, the varsity girls’ soccer team started strong with three straight wins against Poolesville, Rockville and Watkins Mill High School. This kicked off their season and allowed the team to build.
With their team being mostly underclassmen, they needed as much confidence as possible, which they gained from strong victories over Northwood on Sept. 25 and Kennedy on Oct. 2, beating them 8-0 and 5-0 respectively. Despite falling to tough opponents in the last two regular season games, including rival Churchill 1-0, and Whitman 4-2, they strutted into playoffs with three straight wins, including their regional final victory against Sherwood 3-0.
Although the season came up short with a loss against Towson in state quarterfinals, it was still a historic run, with another regional plaque added to the collection.
After suffering an ACL injury over the past year, senior captain Madeline Zincke went through rehab and got back onto the field this season, playing a crucial role as a strong defender in the back line. She said she feels satisfied with the result as she led the team along with the other captains in her comeback season. “I feel the season went really well and I am really satisfied with our results of becoming 3A regional champions and state quarter finalists. Our regional final game against Sherwood was the most rewarding as we had lost in the finals last year and it felt amazing to have gotten our victory after the hard work and dedication we’ve all put into the game,” Zincke said.
Zincke played alongside others who contributed to the success of the team, including fellow senior defender Isabella Davis-Astrada and senior captain defender Melissa Lee. They have both been on varsity for multiple years and seen the team grow. “The feeling of winning a title was so good and it was also the fact that we hadn’t won regionals in many years and that I got to be a part of the team that did that felt great,” Davis-Astrada said.
Lee said she was more than happy to help develop the younger players and leave the team with stronger players next year. With a total of 12 juniors, four sophomores, and one freshman, she felt the extra need to make sure that this playoff run that they experienced this year wasn’t just a one-time thing. “I felt proud to be able to lead such a good group of girls and responsible for the younger players [as they] adapt to the high school sport experience,” Lee said.
Zincke said she hopes that she left as much of an impact on the team as the team did on her. “My experience on Wootton girls’ soccer was truly great as being a player, team manager and captain over the years was always a highlight of my year as Coach Thompson and the girls make it feel like a family while playing soccer and making the funniest memories,” Zincke said.
