Kicking off the pre-season strong, the Lady Cavaliers soccer team demonstrated their dominance. Making a return to the field, the team is excited to be back and play at full capacity.

The pandemic restricted the team from performing a lot of the pre-game rituals that are common within many other sports. Now, before each game begins, the starters huddle up to get everyone motivated with a pep talk. The Lady Cavaliers are ready to give it their all in this upcoming season.

“I’m super excited about this year’s season especially now that things are starting to get back to normal. Frankly being part of the team is like being a part of one big family and I can’t wait to see how it goes,” junior Gabriela Alejandra said.

Currently 3-0, the Lady Cavaliers have found success in their past few games with score lines of 8-0 against Miami Coral Park, 2-1 against Coral Reef and 8-0 against Miami Sunset. Practice at Gables tightly focuses on improving each and every player on the team. The team strengthens their chemistry and coordination with every practice with passing and possession drills that work towards sharpening the skills of each player.

The captain, senior Sabrina Bonavita, understands each girl’s playing style enough to know when to pass them the ball, whether it should be in the air, on the floor, to their feet or into space. She plays right mid, central defensive mid and center back for the team.

Being undefeated does not mean there are no flaws; Bonavita believes if the team is to stay on track to be successful, they are to focus more on their shooting and passing. There are many more challenging teams to face in the upcoming weeks but she is excited to see how the team does.

Maria Fernandez, a junior, plays forward for the Lady Cavaliers. She enjoys the team aspect of soccer as a sport and loves the connections that it makes. Scoring goals and making plays to assist the team in any way is what Fernandez strives to achieve on each second of play because it makes her feel like she has made a significant impact on the team.

Practice in her eyes sometimes seems incredibly tiring, however, it has proven to be extremely beneficial for the team as they feel more prepared for the game than their opponents.

With such great success coming back to school, the Lady Cavs are hoping to continue to play well and improve along the way. Teamwork and dedication are what the team is aiming for.