Chesterton girls soccer is having an up and down campaign, with some nice runs in the beginning of the season and a rough losing streak lately, dropping seven of their last eight games. The team is currently 7-7 with two games left in their regular season.
With ten seniors this season, the team is looking to give it their all on the field and make a run in sectionals, which starts two weeks from this week, after their final regular season game against Hanover on October 3. The team had a good summer, an essential component to success for fall sports, and started on a three-game winning streak, beating Laporte, Warsaw, and Homestead.
“The energy has been good. In the summer, a lot of people showed up and everyone worked hard,” junior team captain Adey Avey remarked.
The team then had a rollercoaster of games, including a tough road defeat against nearby rival Valparaiso by a score of 0-1. The team also has lost its last two conference matches, against Crown Point and Lake Central, so they are looking for a bounceback win in their final game in conference play when they play Portage on October 1 for their final home game. This game will also serve as their Senior Night, to honor the aforementioned seniors.
“We all just have fun with each other and it’s really just a great experience,” senior Katie Downs said.
Avey leads the team in goals, with 13, and senior Ava Olivencia also has an impressive statline with six goals and seven assists. Senior goaltending duo Kate Wantuch and Kori Downs have held the opposition to low scores in nearly all of their games, including some of the tough losses.
“Adey Avey is doing really well. Kate Wantuch always has amazing saves, it’s really impressive to watch. Claire Vrahoiretis is really good and calm in the midfield and the same goes for Ava Olivencia. They are all really good,” Katie Downs said.
The team is going to be missing their ten seniors next season, which includes two team captains, Carmen Stark and Olivia Lange.
“Olivia is coming back from an injury. She sprained her ankle in the beginning of the season, took some time off, and she is right back on it. You can’t even tell that she missed anything,” Katie Downs concluded.
