The West High Trojan girls’ varsity soccer team started the season with a searing 1-0 win against the North Scott Lancers. Battling freezing temperatures exacerbated by the 20-mile-per-hour winds, the game was a fight against both the Lancers and the weather.
In the 2023 season, the Trojans fell to the Lancers early on. This year they showed their determination to improve. The Trojan women used a strong defense to block the Lancers from scoring any goals, with Alyson Skala ’24, Diana Tivanskya ’25, Alex Held ’26 and Vera Tanas ’25 holding up the back line.
Offensively, the Trojans fought to score a goal against the Lancers, with the score remaining 0-0 until the last three minutes when Serene Hamzeh ’24 landed a goal from outside of the box in the attacking third. Several other near goals were attempted by Rachel Schafbuch ’25, Anna Goska ’26 and Emma Pothoff ’25.
With the new season comes new formations, with head coach Zachary Serovy moving people from defense to offense, showing the Trojan women’s stronger push for offensive power. Additionally, five freshmen have joined the varsity team, bringing new blood and continuing the Trojan traditions.
“The team dynamic is good and really positive,” Taleen Rahhal ’27 said.
Hamzeh ’24 expressed her feelings about scoring the first point of the season and securing a win for the Trojans. “I’m really glad the girls trusted me so much since it was my first game back with them after not playing last year. It was a great way to start off a fresh season and I’m excited to grow and succeed with these girls and coaching staff,” Hamzeh said. “The girls all played really well and the team deserved the win after working so hard the entire 80 minutes in the cold.”
