A team full of experience and determination achieves their number-one goal for the season—make playoffs.

For the first time in five years, the Beaver Area girls soccer team successfully earned and secured a spot in the playoff—last year’s playoff run was luck for the lady Bobcats after the last seed was removed from the competition due to COVID allowing the Bobcats to move into their spot.

October 4 was the game the girls knew they would have to win to secure their playoff early. The Bobcats took on Quaker Valley High School who always put up a tough fight. Again, the lady Quakers brought the competition holding both teams to a 0-0 tie going into the second half of the game.

The Bobcats came out hungry for a win after halftime, and freshman Sydney Chontos scored the game-winning goal early for the girls securing the Bobcats their playoff spot.

Both JV teams also put up a tough fight ending in a 2-2 tie with Bobcat goals by sophomores Maddie Boser and Sophia Hahn.

After winning their last three games, the girls’ winning streak unfortunately came to an end October 6 against North Catholic High School with a tough 3-0 loss for varsity and a 2-0 loss for JV. Junior Kat Eck was named player of the match for bringing the energy the team needed to stay in the game offensively.

Both the varsity and JV girls had great offensive plays, but unfortunately the girls could not connect the last piece and get the ball in the back of the net. Player of match was senior Julia Pizzella for being a shutdown defender.

“It’s always so fun to play North Catholic; they are a really talented team so we have to find new ways to get around them. We actually challenged their goalkeeper a lot, but we couldn’t find the back of the net,” shared junior Abby Noah.

Three days later, October 9, the lady Bobcats took on the second toughest team in their section, Avonworth High School. After the tough 1-0 loss to the lady Antelopes the first time the girls played them, the lady Bobcats game out hungry like the predators they are.

The lady Antelopes scored early in the first half, but it wasn’t long until Chontos came back to score the equalizer for the Bobcats. After remaining 1-1 through halftime and late into the second half, the Antelopes squeaked a goal just over the line resulting in a 2-1 loss for the Bobcats.

The losing streak didn’t last long for the Bobcats as they rounded out section play with a 6-0 win over Ambridge High School October 12. The girls managed to hold the lady Bridgers to little offensive play in the Bobcat end of the field all game.

Bobcat goals were by senior Myah Gutierrez, juniors Noah (x2) and Eck, and sophomores Marina Hahn and Katie Reap. Noah was awarded player of the match for her incredible work ethic all game.

“We came out a little off of our game, but we bounced back in the second half and really played like we knew how to,” shared senior Elle Ray.

This week the Bobcats round out the regular season with two non-sections games. Tuesday the girls travel to Eden Christian Academy for a varsity-only game at 4 p.m., and Wednesday the girls are back home one last time to take on Blackhawk High School; JV plays at 6 p.m. and varsity starts at 7:30 p.m.