Girls soccer team has high hopes this season

The Westside varsity girls soccer team is back in action for the 2023 season and they are ready to win a state championship. The Warriors are coming off a 12-6 record and a trip to the state tournament. Westside head coach Chris Dunford has six seniors returning this season.

“We have a lot of returning varsity experience and the group has played in a number of big games over the last two years,” Dunford said. 

Dunford is excited to have so much veteran talent and it will help them perform at their peak level.

“These experiences should help us this spring but we ultimately need to perform at a high level and if we do that then we can be a really good team,” Dunford said. 

Last year Westside was defeated in the opening round of the state tournament, after a 1-0 loss to Lincoln Southeast in overtime. While performing at a high level Dunford has his eyes on returning to Creighton’s Morrison stadium where the state tournament is held every year. 

“The goal for the season is to get to Morrison and win a game at State for the first time as a program since 2010. It’s been too long and we need to change that,” Dunford said. 

Coach Dunford also explains his vision for the state tournament and how it will go down.  

“Once you’re at Morrison for State and you get a win anything can happen as you’re in the final four and then it’s about the details and everyone doing their job,” Dunford explained. 

With a hard working team Dunford is very excited for this season and he thinks that if everyone stays healthy and injury free they can be a very hard team to defeat. 

“Being an attacking, exciting group that works hard off the ball is the type of group we want to be,” Dunford said. If we stay healthy then we can be a very difficult team to beat and have a number of different players who can put the ball in the net.” 

The Warriors will start the season off against Elkhorn South, who Westside knows very well and they will also host the defending state champion Gretna at home. 

“We know Elkhorn South very well and are hosting the defending Champion Gretna team game 3 at home under the lights,” said Dunford. “It is a great chance for us to see where we are at. It’s a challenging start to the season but one we’re relishing.”

The Warriors will open the season against Elkhorn South on Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m.at Phelps Field.