Varsity girls soccer lost to the Churchill Bulldogs 3-0 on Nov. 2, ending its season.

Goalkeeper Hannah Sasscer started off the game with two impressive saves within the first ten minutes of the half.  The Viking offense controlled most of the possessions and kept the pressure on the Bulldogs defense.

However, with 15 minutes remaining in the first half, a Churchill forward kicked a deflected ball past Sasscer’s hands and gave the bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

Sasscer, who was playing with a bruised shin, was injured on the play and had to leave the game.  Goalkeeper Claire Bartholomew replaced Sasscer, but Sasscer reentered the game ten minute later.  The team entered halftime down 1-0.

The girls struggled to get quality offensive shots for the majority of the second half but remained only one goal down.  However, the Bulldogs scored twice within the final ten minutes of the game to seal the victory.

“As far as the game goes, we did not execute the things we had practiced,” head coach Greg Herbert said. “We had stressed the importance of playing the ball to our feet and switching the point of attack frequently, but during the game, we did not execute these strategies.”

The team will lose seniors Lucy Arledge, Emily Mashek, Tessa Morrison, Amelia Rehm and Hannah Sasscer, but will return more than half of its starting lineup.

However, Herbert remains optimistic for the upcoming season. Young talent from the JV and incoming Pyle class provides him with hope for a deep run into the playoffs next season.

“Next season should be an exciting one,” Herbert said. “We will look to build off the accomplishments this team had this season.