Alyssa Buckner

OHS varsity girls soccer huddles together during their senior night.

Varsity: 

With the start of 2026, the winter sports season has been moving along nicely. Girls soccer, in particular, has been working hard in order to have a successful season.

Varsity girls soccer is striving for their goal: to make it to the playoffs. The players and coaches have high hopes of reaching that aspiration, despite the minor setbacks they had at the start of the season. 

“Varsity is six [wins] and five [losses] overall. At the beginning of the season, we played some tough teams…but I guess you could say we’ve found our groove,” said Andrew Archuleta, head coach. “As we get into the tail end of the season, like going to the playoffs, we’re starting to kind of find our synergy within the team.”

The girls soccer team practices practically daily, and it is during those practices that they cultivate their skills in order to be more prepared for games. 

“We work on set plays, warmups, and we also do attacking and defending. We have this new mind and mental coach, Gina [Frohlich-Felix], and she does a really good job teaching us to think in positive ways,” said Raegan Pool, junior. 

Along with their mind and mental coach, the head coach Andrew Archuleta is also new. His impact on the team has shown through the way the girls feel about how their season has been going so far. 

“I love the new girls soccer coach. He’s created a totally new culture on the team, and I feel like the team has bonded in a way that we never have before,” said Caitlin McCauley, senior and varsity captain.

In order to get prepared for games, the coach has made sure to take time getting the girls in the same mindset, meanwhile facilitating little celebrations so they can have fun before getting in the zone. 

“Usually I do a pregame talk 15 minutes before warmup, and I try to put a bit of motivation into it. We [also] started having breakfasts this year before every home game. We’ll meet in my classroom…both JV and Varsity. It starts the day off on a good note,” Archuleta said. 

Along with motivational speeches and get-togethers, the team also has a weekly ritual that ensures they continue supporting one another, both on and off the field. 

“We do ‘Roll Call’ at the beginning of the week, that’s when you share a low and a high from the week, so that kind of helps all of us get in the same mind space. We’re all there for each other,” said Ashley Beutler, senior. 

By making those deeper connections outside of soccer, the girls on varsity are able to look forward to all aspects of what it means to be a part of the team. 

“There’s never a dull moment, and I feel like we’re always having fun; [we have] a good balance. We all work together, it’s not an individual sport, and we’re all working towards a common goal,” McCauley said. 

JV:

Similar to varsity, the JV girls soccer team is moving along with their season, and the camaraderie between the players has enabled them to be successful. 

“[The season’s] been going good, the girls are all very good at communicating. I think we’re all really close, which helps us [during games],” said Presley Roth, sophomore. 

Along with varsity, the JV girls practice on weekdays, where they work on aspects that need improvement and basic drills. 

“We have practice every day unless we have a game. We’re practicing at the same times as varsity–just not [doing things] together,” Roth said. 

A lot of practice and communication have been key in their development season, and it is shown through their results. 

“We’ve won a lot of our games and have only lost one game. I feel like we have a lot of good chemistry,” said Addisyn Petrovich, freshman and JV captain. 

The coaches who help with JV have been amazing in finding ways that work for the girls in order for them to excel in games. 

“[Archuleta is] very determined to make us a better team, and I think he pushes us to our limits, in a good way,” said Zillah Pingitore, freshman. 

All in all, it is the effort to bring up the morale of the girls soccer team that truly makes a difference. 

“My favorite thing is definitely the girls. Not only do they push me when I’m on the field, but I also think our connection is really close, and it gives [us] importance,” Roth said.