On Tuesday, Oct. 14, girls soccer held their senior night for their game against Chambersburg. Despite falling 4-2, the energy of the night was high, and honored the hard work of the team’s six seniors.
“It was very cold, but honestly, just so hype. [There was] a lot of excitement and energy, and it was just all let out that night,” senior Camilla Pinto said.
The senior night celebrations kicked off at 6 o’clock at the North Turf. A balloon arch was set up, with family and friends gathered around as the announcements began.
As the seniors’ names were called, they walked through the arch, accompanied by a close teammate of theirs, going to meet with their family members on the other side. While this took place, the announcer shared the senior’s favorite memory, a piece of advice to underclassmen, their future plans, as well as a message to the player’s parents and coaches.
“[Senior night] means so much to me. It’s a symbol of how much I’ve given the team and how much I’ve gotten out,” senior and team captain Maya Birkenholtz said. “Just all the time and energy I’ve put into this team and these girls, and learning this sport, and all the relationships I’ve made.”
After hugging their coach and family, the seniors received flowers and a gift bag, and all stood together for a photo. The six celebrated were Maya Birkenholtz, Leila Crandall, Camilla Pinto, Katy Schmeck, Maria Straub, and Sydnee Royer.
Birkenholtz detailed how the team had shaped her high school career. “It’s such a big part of my identity that it’s really helped me build a lot of my character, a lot of my perseverance and leadership,” Birkenholtz said. “I think it just really shaped what I value in terms of teamwork and hard work.”
Pinto agreed, sharing a piece of advice for the team’s underclassmen. “Keep going, because in the end, you’ll be thankful you did it all,” Pinto said. “Even though, in the moment, balancing school and soccer is really unbearable, in the end you’ll be really grateful you did it.”
After the celebrations, the game against Chambersburg kicked off. Up until halftime, State High was down 3-0, but after halftime came back with a vengeance.
“It would have been really easy to give up, and we were definitely feeling that … but the atmosphere just really changed,” Birkenholtz said. “We got a goal, and we just built off that energy.”
Birkenholtz scored the first goal post-halftime, followed closely by a second goal by junior Leah Sampsel.
“Both were amazing moments where the team rallied around us, and it was a great energy,” Birkenholtz said.
The two goals brought the team up to 3-2, but the game ended with a 4-2 loss. Despite this, seniors emphasized the energy of the night and the pride that senior night brought to the game.
“We really played for our team, our seniors, and the end of the season,” Birkenholtz said. “I think we really had that energy of how badly we wanted it and how badly we wanted to work hard for each other.”
