Girls soccer celebrates their divisional championship win over Blake.

by Noah Bair ’24

On October 27, the girls varsity soccer team was defeated by Wootton in the second round of the 2023 Maryland Girls Soccer State Championship by a score of 2-1. The defeat comes after the team defeated Watkins Mill by a score of 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs just two days before on October 25.

The loss to Wootton was a disappointing ending for the Warriors, especially after a very successful season that included a 2-1 win against Wootton earlier in the season. Coach Kristina Bryn noted that Wootton is a “very skilled team” and “it was going to be a real fight,” but Sherwood was unable to pull away in what ended up being their final game of the season.
After winning only five games last year, the girls varsity soccer team finished 8-4 in the regular season this year. In addition to having an impressive record, the Warriors clinched a division title after beating Blake 4-0 on October 9.

The team had a strong group of captains that played an integral role in the team’s success. Senior captain Katie Roecklein emphasized that the captains play a large role in “regulating practice, making sure everyone is focused to help make it more beneficial, organizing fun team bonding activities, and making sure our team is always on our best behavior and good sportsmanship.”
Captain Marley Hillman attributed this success to an increase in team chemistry compared to last season. “The main difference I believe everyone has noticed is the team dynamic,” noted Hillman. “Last year our team chemistry was not strong … However, this year we found a way to work as a team and be coherent.”

Coach Bryn echoed the same sentiment. “I believe our success this year has a lot to do with our team’s chemistry,” she noted. “You can have all the talent in the world but unless you have the team companionship and the trust in one another it doesn’t necessarily matter.”
While the team was successful this season, they faced a number of tough opponents in the back end of their schedule. On October 9, the team’s senior night, the Warriors defeated Blake by a score of 4-0, a team that beat Sherwood last year by a score of 4-3. “Our team is a lot stronger than we were last year,” said senior and captain Josie Sego. “We are all comfortable playing with each other, and we [were] hungry for [that] Blake win.”

After the Blake game, the team met their most challenging foes of the season, with games against Churchill and Quince Orchard in a span of just three days in late October. QO finished 12-0 this year and outscored opponents 63-6 this season, the largest margin of anyone Sherwood played this year. Coach Bryn noted that QO is a “powerhouse” and a “great team,” and that compared to last year, “this time we were excited for competition, not anxious.” Despite the confidence by the Warriors, the team lost 4-0 to Churchill and 5-0 to QO to finish the regular season.