As fall sports are kicking into high gear, teams are finding it imperative to have their best players on the field in order to make playoffs. But for the girls soccer team, that may prove to be more difficult than they had anticipated.

On Friday, Sept. 13, the girls varsity soccer team was playing Souhegan in their third game of the season. Tasha White ‘20, a three year starter and four year member of the varsity team,  was off to a great start. Having scored a goal in the first half of the game, it looked like she was unstoppable. But what occurred in the second half changed the course of her entire season. White and a member of the opposing team both went for the ball and with one wrong move, White’s knee cap was displaced to  the side of her leg. 

After going to the doctors, White was informed that she dislocated her knee and would be out for most of her senior season, four to six weeks to be exact. This news was far from what she and her teammates were hoping to hear. White was “very upset, but I think I had to convince myself that it happened and there was nothing I could do about it, and I know it stinks and it was unfortunate, but I will be back in no time so I can finish my senior season.” White says she’s fully confident in the team’s ability to pull out wins and thinks they have the full potential to make it to playoffs, which she hopes she can participate in.

Following a defeat against Milford,  the girls soccer team has only lost one game. According to team member Emma Ruvido ‘20, the next couple of games could be more challenging for them. She thinks that they have adjusted well, even though not having White on the field is quite a loss. In her absence, some of the younger players have stepped up to contribute to the reworking of the team’s placement on the field. “We will definitely make it. The teams we are scheduled to play will be tough games, but I think we already have enough wins to get us into the playoffs now,” said Ruvido.

Even after adjusting to the loss of White, the girls have continued to face setbacks, but each time, they rise to the challenge. Another four year member of the team, Teresa Demaio ‘20 said, “We just adjusted to the loss of Tasha and then we lost our goalie and our starting outside forward, but I still think by playoff time when it comes down to it, we will have it all figured out and everyone will be back to being healthy. I think we will make it to the championship.” 

Despite the challenges they have faced this season, the team is continuously adjusting in an effort to to overcome setbacks, and are currently holding a spot in fifth place overall in Division II.