On Mon. April 17, the Atoms girls

soccer team defeated the Herndon Hor-
nets in a close match (1-0).

Senior Olivia Cruz scored the lone
goal of the game from either side for the
Atoms, while sophomore goalie Sara
Nagle shut everything down for the
Atoms in goal.
“I think we were very successful with
our sequence of passes.” Passing was a
focus in practice which helped lead to
the victory against Herndon,” junior
Jana Russell said. “In practice we were
working a lot of passing patterns which
help us involve everyone in the fi eld
with passes so it created a successful
sequence of patterns.”

“The communication against hern-
don was good especially from our defend-
ers when helping to organize our mid-
fi elders defensive shape. We played well

and everyone did their part to get the

win. From sophomore Sara Nagle mak-
ing key saves to our defense communi-
cating and staying compact throughout

the game. Our midfi eld possessed the

ball in important moments and the for-
wards were decisive in the fi nal third,”

Cruz said.

Communication is the most impor-
tant part for any team sport and coach-
es really focus on team chemistry in

practice. This practice has paid off very
well for the team in their game against
Herndon.

“I think I played well against Hern-
don. There are still things I can improve

but overall it was a good game,” Russell
said.
Coaches work with their players
on the mistakes they make during the
games to fi x them for the future.
“We need to work on starting a game
with high intensity and moving the ball
faster as a team to establish a rhythm
earlier on,” Cruz said.
“I think the game showed our team
that we are able to be competitive
against strong teams. It also taught
us that if we possess the ball, we will
be able to create more quality scoring

opportunities,” freshman Melanie Dec-
areau said.

Defeating Herndon was a very big
accomplishment because they are a

tougher team. This win really boosted
the team’s morale.

“I think beating Herndon was a pret-
ty big success. They are a team that is

ranked high in a competitive region,
proving that we can beat strong teams

and are a threat in our district,” Dec-
areau said. “Herdon’s front line was

quick and physical. They forced our

defense to step up and play just as phys-
ically, which they did.”

Overall the team came away with
great success but still has things they

need to improve on. They are celebrat-
ing their success but also preparing for

their next game against Falls Church
on April 25. They hope to defeat Falls
Church and use the success they had

against Herdon towards Falls Church
while also learning from the mistakes
made against Herdon and fi xing them
in their next game.
The coaches love seeing players step
up and lead their team especially when
the team needs it the most. Whether it

is scoring goals, getting an assist or sav-
ing shots in crucial moments. The team

is fi lled with players who are ready to
compete and play at even higher levels
past high school soccer.
So far, many of these roles have

been fi lled which the team and coach-
es love to see. The team hopes to see

another win on the season after their
game against Falls Church.