JV Girls Soccer Team Continues to Grow

10/23/2024

A lot has changed for Masters' junior varsity girls soccer team since its formation three years ago.

“When I was hired three seasons ago, we didn’t have a JV team at Masters, and so our first one consisted of 11 girls — just enough for a team,” head coach Mariah Peña said. “The second season (there were about 14 players) before injuries. When you’re a part of a team that small, you learn to stick together. It was beautiful to have that through the tough losses that it takes to build a program.”

All that hard work has started to pay dividends for the Panthers this fall.

Masters improved its record to 7-2 following Tuesday's 5-2 victory over Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS) at Reunion Field. The Panthers showcased depth and talent in the process, leaning on their experience and determination to record their second win of the season over GCDS.

“Without a doubt, the biggest points of growth for this team have been culture and communication,” Peña said. “This season, we had 18 players on the roster. We are most proud of how our older players helped bring established culture into this group and how the new players took to it and added to it.”

Against GCDS, Masters jumped out to a 2-1 halftime and never looked back. Gigi Wheeler ’27 scored a pair of first-half goals to power the offense. Rio Imanishi ’28 (1G, 2A), Genesis Cruz ’27 (1G), Ella Liu ’27 (1G), SeRy Jarrett ’27 (1A) and Loewy Nalle ’27 (1A) rounded out the production. Keeper Ruby McDowell ’28 (10 saves) anchored the defense alongside Sofia Camacho ’26.

In addition to the two wins over GCDS, the Panthers' resume also features victories over Marymount (2X), Fieldston, Hackley and St. Luke's.

Peña credited athletic director Logan Condon and assistant athletic director/varsity girls soccer coach Juan Cobos with helping the team logistically, allowing them to maintain a high standard of preparation.

“(Condon and Cobos) have been incredible this season in making sure, even as a JV team, we’ve had consistency in where we practice and the access we have to different fields (on campus) if we know we are going to be playing somewhere new in an upcoming game,” Peña said. “Getting a practice or two in before a game on the field they’ll be playing on has been huge by way of mental preparation.”

The Panthers will close out the regular season with a pair of away games at Greens Farms (October 24) and French-American School of New York (October 29). They will then set their sights on the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) postseason tournament on November 2 at Greenwich Academy.

“Now that we feel like we’ve really built something strong — and have almost made it through a whole season with this crew — there's only one thing left:

"We’d love to show out at the FAA tournament and end in at least one of the Top 3 spots,” Peña said. “Either way, it’ll be a wonderful opportunity to end our season with a bang. We all want people to know how wonderful this program is and continue to spread the word for more girls to join Masters girls soccer in the future.”