Women’s Soccer Team Looks to Build Off of Their Success
By David Chin
Coming off of the 2021 season, the Rams Women’s Soccer season was nothing short of a success, boasting a regular-season record of 16 wins and 4 losses, having come in second place for the state championship.
When looking at the competition, it’s easy to see just how challenging things can get for the Rams. Being in what may arguably be the best conference in the state, there are five playoff teams and the highly notable Hartnell College finishing with 22 wins, two draws, and two losses. The Rams ranked as one of the top teams in the state, scoring 73 goals in the season and only allowing 13 against them.
Going into the 2022 season, the Rams hope to replicate and exceed the success they found last season with their newly promoted full-time head coach Mr. Jeff Wilson. Before the 2022 preseason, Wilson was formerly the only part-time coach at City College.
Player Leslie Murillo commented on what his promotion means for the team: “Coach Jeff becoming a full-time coach was mandatory. He does so much for the team and deserves to be full-time.”
“I’m not sure why it took so long, but I definitely am happy they finally recognized all of the hard work he puts in,” Elaina Gonzalez, another player on the team said. “This means our team finally has a full-time coach. Coach Jeff has always gone above and beyond and will continue to inspire the players [and] culture of the team.”
According to Wilson, the Rams are in “a good spot” with many players from the previous season returning and promising potential in the form of new faces.
When asked about the accomplishments of the 2021 season, Wilson said, “They don’t do it for the accolades but when they’re honored with such awards it makes them feel good … We don’t have the type of players that are only celebrating their own accomplishments; they’re celebrating everybody else’s too.”
Regarding what he’s looking to improve on going forward, Wilson said, “You’re always looking to improve, but improve in a way that you’re adding pieces that meet the team philosophy too.” Wilson expressed that having accomplished student-athletes can make for an “easier sell” during the recruitment process.
“The team is happy for everyone’s accomplishments,” Murillo said. “I feel as if everything that has been accomplished is only representing what kind of team we are here at City [College] such as talented, hardworking, competitive, etc.”
An anonymous player reached out to The Guardsman over winter break, detailing that one area could be greatly improved, which is the accessibility of City College facilities. “I think the one thing about City College is when you’re playing in a season like ours in the fall is that there [are] a lot of teams and there [are] larger teams like football, so it’s not as accessible just because of the limited space and we happen to train at the same time.”
It’s worth noting that the Rams soccer team shares a field with the High School Lick Wilmerding. Wilson said, “The one thing I think about our soccer field is that [it’s] overused. They have a lifespan and I definitely think it [has] hit its lifespan.”
Overall, it seems as though the Rams have a bright 2022 ahead of them. With returning players keeping the mold and new faces strengthening the team, there’s a lot to look forward to. It appears that the facilities themselves at City College are improving, yet still need to better suit the needs of the players and coaches that use them.