On April 22, the Green Hope girls’ soccer team took on Panther Creek in their second conference meeting of the season, with considerably higher stakes. Coming off a 7-4 victory in their first match, tensions were high for a rematch. This time, however, Green Hope’s eight senior players would be recognized on their senior night. Ava Scagnelli (‘26), Kelcey Morris (‘26), Brooke Haynes (‘26), Lily Czika (‘26), Haley Mulford (‘26), Zoe Westerlund (‘26), Ella Chase (‘26) and Alexa Valdez (‘26) were all recognized for their accomplishments in their years with the team.
The special night began well before the game started, with Coach Danielle Jensen noting that the most memorable part of the night for her was a special surprise from her senior players. “The seniors asked me if they could record and send their own national anthem. It’s something they’ve been doing during the games, like every game they sing, and they get a little bit louder and louder as the season goes on.” She said that she was sent the song beforehand, but only listened to a snippet before the game, and let the rest play out on the day of. Jensen noted “you could tell they were all in that room recording together, and hear their absolute joy.” The song set the tone for the game, she said, and energy was high from the get-go.
Senior player Lily Czika also recalled that her favorite moment of the night happened before the game kicked off. “I would say my favorite part was getting ready before the game with all the seniors one last time. We just really bonded.” With the team chemistry and overall vibes at an all-time high, the Falcons already had the upper hand before facing off against the Catamounts.
Sending out the starting lineup, Jensen made sure to include every senior in her plans. “I always feel like seniors should start on their big day,” she said. Though it may end up putting players in new positions or posing other tactical challenges, senior night is meant to be enjoyable and to recognize all of the program’s veteran players.
As the final whistle blew, the Falcons emerged victorious, defeating Panther Creek in a shutout 3-0 match. On their night, senior players were certainly the standouts on the field, with Morris, Haynes and Czika tallying one assist each, and Mulford netting a brace.
Following the match, Czika said, “I think it’s great that we could win both the Fight for 55 and my senior night game all in one. It’s really meaningful for Green Hope and me in general.” Jensen also shared similar feelings following the win and emphasized her pride in her seniors. “I was really proud. Yeah, that was the biggest thing; I was really excited to have those moments with them. They got to play, they put goals away, everything was double the fun.”
With their season coming to an end in the first week of May, Czika shared her hopes for the rising senior class, saying, “I hope that they have as much fun as I did with Green Hope soccer, and that they continue working hard.” Jensen also shared that “next year’s seniors continue finding ways to include everybody to do stuff outside of soccer, like off-campus lunches and our team dinners.”
With a successful send-off in their last game against cross-town rivals, Green Hope girls’ soccer certainly made the night memorable for all those involved.
