With spring sports starting this week, the Portage Northern girls’ soccer team is working hard to prepare for the season. Their first practice will be on March 3rd, but conditioning already started in December.

The team looks to build on a decent season last year, with its ups and downs, but the team is excited to get back on the field. “There is a lot of potential in the program this year and I am looking forward to see how we do,” says Justin Rhodes, the head coach of the boy’s and girl’s soccer team.

The team lost eight seniors due to graduation, but plans to compensate the loss well with a big senior group in this team as well. “Even though we had great senior players last year, we have great senior players this year that have the skills and passion to lead us just as the senior girls did last year,” states Aubrey Zonts, a senior varsity player. “We may have lost many talented players from graduation, but we have gained even more talent since.”

The opening game for the season will be at Portage Northern against Hackett Catholic Prep on March 29th. Other important games are against Portage Central on May 3rd and Gull Lake on May 8th.

Although the games are most important, there is way more behind being part of the soccer team. “I love playing soccer but the girls that I play with make it so much better. I look forward to soccer practice after school and games. Everyone is supporting to each other especially during games,” says Lauren O’Hern, a sophomore who is planning on playing again this year.  Zonts adds: “ Every single girl on JV or Varsity has something to bring to each team, and I am going to play my butt off every single game so I can say I finished my high school career with the best season I ever had.”