The girls soccer team had a close and tough match, but ended in a loss against Marian, with the final score of 2-1. Both teams were scheduled to play each other earlier in the season, but was cancelled due to the weather. Last time both teams faced off was in May of 2023, where Westside took the win.
Marian is ranked second in class A and fourth in Nebraska with now a record of 11-3. While it ended in a loss for Westside, players like Nora Johnson and Sarah Rosloniec had good individual performances. Johnson scored for Westside and had two great crosses that just fell short of a finish. Johnson, who is a junior, shared what was her strategy going into the game, and if it played out as expected.
“We didn’t necessarily have a strategy going into the game,” Johnson said. “ We knew we were going to have to work super hard and compete the best we could with Marian.”
Junior goalie Sarah Rosloniec has been having great performances recently. Her stats make her rank number four in class A. She explained her strategy going into the game from the perspective of a goalie and if it played out as expected.
“My strategy going into the game was the same as every game, just to stay calm and know that I can only control how I perform,” Rosloniec said. “We did lose the game and everyone was pretty disappointed about it.”
Head coaches not only lead the team on the sidelines and make game-time decisions, but they also observe and oversee players to ensure they are well prepared and catch the team’s strengths and weaknesses. That is what head coach Nathan May was doing during the match against Marian. He expressed what his thoughts were on the team’s performance.
“I was proud of the group and how hard they worked, their focus, and the chances they created. We limited Marian in a lot of ways and were able to get at them several times,” May said. “Unfortunately a couple moments of quality from them, a couple moments we could’ve been more focused, and not being clinical in front of the goal cost us.”
Every match there are going to be little moments, where either team could lose their focus for a split second. This match highlighted the aggression from both teams, with both putting their full effort during the whole 90 minute period. Johnson shared what was her most proud moment from the match.
“I’m very proud of how hard everybody worked,” Johnson said. “It was a tough game and everyone gave 110% for a full 90 minutes.”
Rosloniec also has an important duty as a goalie, with having to stay focused and make quick decisions. She explained her most proud moment from the match.
“I was really proud of the work that everyone put into the game,” Rosloniec said.
Even when teams or individuals don’t win it does not particularly mean they had a bad performance all around. The team had a strong performance and coach May expressed what he thinks the team did well in, despite the close loss.
“They defended, battled, and limited their effectiveness on set pieces,” May said. “We were effective on our own set pieces.”
Every teammate could have different opinions on how the team did as a whole. Johnson expressed how she felt about the team’s overall performance.
“I thought our team performance was very good,” Johnson said. “We worked well together and it was a great group effort.”
Rosloniec also shared how she felt about the team’s performance from her perspective.
“I’m so impressed by how everyone played,” Rosloniec said. “It was a very hard game and we handled it well.”
The end of the season is slowly creeping up, but there are always improvements and adjustments that teams make up until the end to make sure their game is the best during the most important matches of the season, like districts and the State Championship. Coach May explained what specific improvements he is targeting for the future.
“Hopefully a bit better in the boxes as that’s where games are won and lost,” May said. “Also understanding the impact of a good defensive rest shape and those 5 seconds we take sometimes before we run back in transition.”
Players also reflect and visualize what they could have improved or done differently, so if in the same situation in the future they can have a different approach to handle it. Johnson expressed how she felt about her personal performance.
“I was happy with how I played,” Johnson said. “Like any game, there are things I could have done better, but I felt like I made an impact on the game in a positive way.
Rosloniec shared how she felt about her personal performance as well.
“I feel like I performed very well,” Rosloniec said. “It was definitely my best game I’ve played this year.”
