Girls Soccer Team Competing Among the Best
The varsity girls soccer team has been a force to reckon with all season long. No matter who they’re on the pitch with, the players know they can compete, and that’s just what they’re doing—often with lopsided wins of five or more goals and tight one-goal losses and ties.
That competitiveness was on full display in its most recent win against Dexter High School on May 20. The Dreadnaughts are a perennially strong team that plays in a higher division than Greenhills, but the Gryphons weren’t intimidated and earned a big 3-2 victory at home.
“We were by far the best team,” said Greenhills head coach Lucian Popescu. “We controlled most of the game, scored three beautiful goals, and proved we could compete with anybody when we put out our best performance.”
The Gryphons displayed a powerful attacking offense all spring, scoring 29 goals throughout the season with an average of 2.5 goals per game. The team’s 5-6-1 record was good enough for it to finish in the top half of the standings, but it narrowly missed the Catholic High School League (CHSL) playoffs by just one spot.
“We played a very strong CHSL league schedule, competed with every opponent, and played a good-looking style praised by all the opponents’ coaches,” added Popescu. “For a very young team this is an outstanding performance. The girls should be very proud of themselves and feel confident as they look to their next games.”
On Tuesday, May 21, the team took on a new opponent: Greenhills alumni. This friendly match was a fun way for the team to connect with former players as they prepare for postseason play, and a great opportunity to learn from athletes who had been in their shoes before.
Greenhills will only add four more soccer players to the alumni ranks at the end of the 2023-2024 school year: Ava Englesbe, Katie Malloure, Emilia Monroy-Horts, and Seyyal Siddiqui. Sixteen players will return in 2024-2025, including 12 ninth and tenth graders, making the outlook promising for next season.
“Our coaching staff, Ame, Harry, and I, are very proud of this team and these players,” said Popescu, “We are excited to continue the journey next year—confident the team will build upon this year’s success.”
The Gryphons will take on Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard in the district playoffs on Friday, May 24.
