The RM girls and boys varsity soccer teams have been incredibly successful throughout the 2023-2024 season. Both teams made it to the regional finals which, for the girls, was the first time in RM soccer history. During the regular season, both teams had impressive records as well. In fact, the boys team had the third-best record in Division II 4A North which includes Paint Branch, Wheaton, Springbrook and Einstein. The girls team also outperformed every school in their division and had a strong record of 7 wins, 3 losses, and 2 ties. They had a 66 percent winning percentage.
The two teams had numerous standout games that displayed their successes. Against Paint Branch, the girls scored 10 goals compared to Paint Branch’s 0. In a match against Seneca Valley, they won 8-0. The boys also had games where they dominated their competition, such as a 4-0 victory against Seneca Valley. This was one of the many games that they won as a part of their 5-6-1 (win, loss, tie) record.
“We had to really focus and want this more than the other teams and that’s why we were able to go this far,” freshman Megan Tran said. For the first time ever, the girls soccer team was able to advance to the regional finals for this reason. After a 3-0 win against Albert Einstein HS, the Rockets faced off against Wheaton. In contrast to their performance against Einstein during the regular season, a 3-1 victory, RM girls didn’t let in any goals throughout their semi-final game. They fell short in the regional final, losing to Wheaton 2-0. “I’m still really proud of this team because we worked super hard this season. We fought and put our hearts in every game,” Tran said.
To be able to advance as far as they did, the girls had to concentrate during practice and perfect parts of their game regularly. They had to identify their weaknesses to correct their mistakes from the start of the season. “We mainly focused on attacking and defense like every team does. One of the weaknesses we faced was finishing and putting shots on goal so we focused on that for a very long time all throughout the season,” Tran said. “For our defense, handling long balls from the opponent was tough, and we had to work on that too.”
The RM boys soccer team, the 2022-2023 regional champs, also had to meticulously plan and prepare during practices to put up a fight during this year’s regional final. “During practices, we worked on how to keep the ball and how to attack as a team,” senior captain Rhoi Phulsa said. To stay focused on the team’s common goal, coach Brian Urioste consistently encouraged them to push them to be their best. “We use the phrase ‘dawgs gotta eat’ because our coach wanted us to be hungry and score a lot of goals,” Phulsa said.
As dominant as both teams were, they were unable to convert their season’s worth of practice to their final regional matches. With a 1-0 loss to Paint Branch for the boys and the girls’ 2-0 loss to Wheaton, players on both teams can attest to the fact that they had the potential to compete, but the opposing teams still gained the upper hand. “We played a good team and we played really well. If we finished two of the best chances we had that game, we would be back-to-back regional champions. The chances were created, but the finishing touch was missing,” Phulsa said.
Regardless of the outcome of the season, the RM girls and boys soccer players developed irreversible bonds with one another. “We needed to trust each other and bond together so we were able to work as a team,” Tran said. From a captain’s perspective, the sentimental significance of the team applies just as much. “It was the best RM season I’ve had, and it was such an awesome experience to play with the boys,” Phulsa said.
