by Emma Link ‘27 and Molly Schecter ‘27

Few things in all of sports are more nerve-wracking than a penalty shootout to decide the winner of a game. After 100 minutes of scoreless regular time and overtime, Sherwood beat Magruder 7-6 in penalties to advance to the regional championship against Wootton on Wednesday, October 29. Junior Elise Rogers drilled her shot into the lower left corner to beat Magruder. Junior Sydney Gould made two clutch saves during the shootout to help Sherwood secure the win.

Walking up in front of everyone to take the shot, Rogers knew she had to score, or else it would end the season for the Warriors. She also carried the weight of a tough 2-1 loss to Magruder during the regular season. “How bad we felt after we played our hearts out in the season game and lost, and I didn’t ever want to feel that pain again or cause it for my team,” said Rogers.

In the first round of playoffs, the girls won 4-0 at home against Kennedy. Despite the relatively easy win, the players knew they would have to play better if they were going to beat a stronger team in Magruder. With the win against Magruder, Sherwood advanced to play Wootton in the regionals this past Tuesday at Wootton. To prepare, the team needed to work on, “finding the width and attacking the team’s weak side, and our quick counterattack,” said senior captain Liat Tuchman.

The playoffs bring the pressure of knowing it might be the last game of the year. “We need to lock in and play for each other to bring 100-percent energy. It’s win or go home,” said senior captain Candace Woods.

The Warriors ended their regular season with a 7-5 record, in which they scored 40 goals with only 15 scored against them. The overall result is impressive given that several key starters from last season graduated. As a result, the starting lineup included an unusually high number of sophomores and juniors.

Even in games that the team lost this season, the scores were notably closer than games against the same opponents last year. With many players returning next year, the signs are apparent that Sherwood is ready to compete against the programs in the county.