Winning Culture

Of course it is, and, make no mistake, Collegiate’s girls varsity soccer team loves to win.

 

It’s interesting, then, that though winning is ingrained in the being of each of its players and coaches as well as in the team culture year-in, year-out, it’s not a daily topic of conversation. Instead, it’s a tacit expectation.

 

“This is a good team,” said Coach Rob Ukrop, whose squad, the defending League of Independent Schools and VISAA champion, is 8-0-1. “All the kids want to win, but there’s no focus on winning and losing. We talk about playing the best soccer we can play. We talk about playing a beautiful game.

 

“Soccer is one of the craziest sports ever. You can play great and lose and play terrible and win. We just focus on playing great. We have a limited number of games. Let’s take full advantage of our time together.”

 

The Cougars, who finished 20-2 last spring, often start three 8th graders, three freshmen, four sophomores, and one senior.

 

“The young girls are excited to be out there and part of a varsity team,” Ukrop said. “They have this hyper-competitive feistiness about them that we really love. They’re rising to the level that the juniors and seniors set every day in training. We have a high standard. Girls are fighting for spots. It’s competitive in a good way.”

 

The Cougars are now on a 29-game unbeaten streak. How have they perpetuated their success considering their youth?  

“Having a very young, skilled team and also having older girls providing the leadership has helped,” said senior co-captain Gabriela Linkonis, a five-season varsity performer. “Training with older girls helped me grow my confidence when I was younger. Having a high confidence level and a super-competitive environment definitely helps us.”

 

Through nine games, the Cougars have scored 44 goals and allowed just six.

 

Sophomore goalie Josie Smalley has recorded five shutouts and has an .741 goals-against average.

 

“She’s been outstanding,” Ukrop said. “She’s confident. She’s been a great leader in the back for us.”

 

She’s had plenty of help.

 

“[Sophomore defensive midfielder] Ana Tornabene solves a lot of problems for us,” Ukrop added. “She has an incredibly high ceiling. When the ball turns over, she’s the first one to read it. She usually makes the interception and then starts the counterattack for us.”

 

Senior co-captain and Davidson commit Ryan Lewis has contributed eight goals and two assists. Freshman Emilia Afre has seven goals and one assist, freshman Canaan Snell two goals and eight assists, 8th grader Logan Lombard six goals and three assists, and 8th grader Evie Goodwin three goals and five assists. Seven different players have delivered game-winning goals.

 

“Establishing a new presence on our team has been really important,” said Lewis, a versatile four-season varsity performer who plays center back, outside back, and forward. “It’s always about team over yourself, making sure you show up in ways other than just your performance and bringing those different ways to the field.”

 

The Cougars have a 25-player roster. Ukrop references those not in the game as the Bench Mafia and considers their role paramount to the team’s continued success. The Cougars have bought in.

 

“When you’re on the Bench Mafia, you realize that your energy from the bench brings excitement to the field,” Linkonis said. “That encourages [those on the field] to work super hard.”

 

That energy also has them hyped when their moment arrives.

 

“The Covenant game was a good example,” Ukrop said. “The younger girls were struggling. Veterans Sloan Sullivan, Carly Barnes, and Britton Berson came on. Within a minute, Sloan played a ball to Britton as Carly dragged a defender away from the ball with a near-post run as Britton scored with a clean strike into the back of the net. They hadn’t played the previous game at all. No minutes. They came in and got the game-winner in a 1-0 victory.”

~Weldon Bradshaw