The regular season came to a close on October 16, as Girls Varsity Soccer dominated Wheaton with a 3 to 1 win. The Barons are now working hard to prepare for their playoff game this Friday, October 24, as they take on Walter Johnson High School at Guckeyson Memorial Stadium.
Coach Travis has been coaching the Barons for two years but brings immense experience from five years of coaching other MCPS schools and 17 years as a club coach. The Barons went 8, 2, and 2 in the regular season, tying for second place in their division. Now the girls are focusing on weekly practices, working hard to be ready for the playoff journey ahead. Coach Travis said, “We are taking one game at a time, trying to stay loose but focused. We’ve talked about what we need to do and implemented some strategies, but we’re trying to play how we’ve played all year because we’ve been fairly successful.”
In the regular season, the Barons tied with Walter Johnson 2 to 2 in an intense battle for success. The game went into double overtime but still ended in a tie. “[We are] staying focused, making sure we are working hard, [and] making sure we are taking shots on goal. We want to make it a higher-scoring game, that’s the way we do best.”
During practices, the team focuses on possession and teamwork. “My whole approach is generally that I want to make sure we are having fun but working hard.” During the playoffs, penalty kicks play a vital role in determining whether the team wins or loses after overtime. “[We] prepare to do penalty kicks, because if it comes down to it, we want to make sure it’s not the first time we’ve done it. We spend 15 to 20 minutes at the end of practice doing PKs.”
Coach Travis has been a crucial part of the Girls Varsity Soccer team’s success over the past two years. With the Barons tied for second in the division, Coach Travis keeps the team dedicated to success. “We can beat any team out there as long as we stay focused and play our game. I think we’ll do great.”
