MacArthur soccer lost to the Johnson Jaguars 0-2 in the Region IV-5A final on Saturday, losing their state tournament hopes on the Sports Park fields of Brownsville.
The ladies finished 20-3-2 for the season, which earns pride for the team despite the upset. MacArthur missed out on the state tournament with four chances in their last seven seasons. This is also Erik Stolhandske’s second year as head coach.
Anja Rosales scored 11 goals and had five assists for goals this season. She holds her head high this week after the playoff loss, noting that she and the other ladies converse about each match in depth.
“We had a lot of team meetings with [our coach] to discuss the week, add to team tactics, and bond as a group. [We had] sleep overs, team dinners, [and really], we were all very close,” Rosales said.
After every game, the team got together to review each mistake.
“We watched film, answered questions, and tried to make something out of what we could improve on,” Rosales said.
The team is losing at least nine seniors this year, but Anja remains confident in the club.
“I actually am [very confident] in the girls. This year I saw them step up when they needed to, and they will carry the team next season,” Rosales said.
