Sports
April 24, 2015
19
Fanning Out
Photo by Madi McVan
Increase in number of fans pushes girls soccer to fifth round of playoffs Madi McVan
life, style, & arts
Fans line the railings, face paint running in the rain. It is the fourth round of girls soccer playoffs, and there have never been so many enthusiastic fans in the student section. The girls varsity soccer team made school history by advancing to the fifth round of playoffs, placing them in the top eight teams in the state. The season saw a huge increase in fan involvement at the games as students pushed to increase support for the sport. “Without all the fans that we had there we would not have gotten as far,” sophomore left back player
Kensley Martin said. “It was just a huge encouragement.” Junior Jenny Lynch utilized social media to encourage her friends to go to the games, and invited the people in her classes. The idea to bring people to the games started at last year’s playoff game, where attendance was mediocre and the team lost. “This year, since they went so far, it was important to me that they got the support that they deserved,” Lynch said. “I think that when there are people to support and cheer them on when they don’t have a lot of courage, it helps them to persevere.” For the seniors who are not play-
ing college soccer, the loss in the fifth round marked an end to their soccer career. Despite the loss, the record-breaking season sent the seniors out on a good note. “It was bittersweet,” senior Talia Graves said. “We had gotten so far and no one thought we were going to, but it sucks that it was my last game.” The regional semifinal ended with a 0-3 shutout by Highland Park, but spirits were still high as the season ended. “We made it farther than anyone thought we would,” senior goalkeeper Bailee Bolt said. “We made Hendrickson history. Nothing can beat that feeling.”
Round
1
Round
2
Round
3
Round
4
Round
5
Hendrickson Lake Travis
3 0
2
Hendrickson Atascocita
Hendrickson Westwood
1
2 0
Hendrickson Sasche 0 Hendrickson Highland Park
3 2
3