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Sports

Einstein Girls Soccer Growing Into Solid Team

The young and enthusiastic Titans are holding their own so far this year

After a season away from coaching the girls soccer team at Albert Einstein High School, Joan Rackey likes what she has seen so far from this year’s Titans squad.

Consecutive victories against Watkins Mill and Paint Branch, the latter a 3-0 home victory Saturday in a cold and steady rain that threatened to turn the field into a quagmire, have her players believing that their hard work and energetic style are starting to pay dividends.

Despite a series of tough one-goal losses early in the season, Rackey sees her team growing together and learning to give a consistent effort throughout both halves of a game.

“They’re beginning to understand how each other plays and what my expectations are,” Rackey said. “And I guess more importantly what they expect of themselves as individual players and team players.”

The future looks bright for the Titans on several fronts, with the junior varsity team dominating its opposition so far this year while several freshmen and sophomores contribute to the varsity squad.

“It bodes well for the program in the future,” Rackey said. “Because we have some strong underclassmen and hopefully we’ll continue to draw those kinds of people.

Freshman goalie Jenna Pastel, who had no intentions of playing keeper this season, has adapted well, maintained a positive attitude and kept the Titans in every game she has played.

“She has excellent field skills,” Rackey said. “She has more energy than the Energizer bunny. And I said to her, ‘I know this is not what you wanted to do, but you are the best in that goal, and we have to do what’s best for our team.’ And you know she doesn’t hold her head down and pout. She does what she needs to do and she plays very hard.”

In front of Pastel, senior defender Kelsey Anderson and senior sweeper Krizia Chambers have done a solid job of limiting opposition scoring chances. On the offensive end, junior midfielders Ellen Airozo and Jennifer Diaz, along with speedy sophomore forward Reva Alperson, have provided much of the Titans scoring punch.

Unlike some other schools whose players are members of club teams in addition to their varsity squads, most of the Titans play from year to year with no soccer experience outside of the fall season. In an effort to combat that disadvantage, this summer Einstein held a series of weekly pick-up games open to current, former and future players as well as anyone else who wanted to show up.

“This is the first year we’ve done this,” Rackey said. “And much to my surprise we had no less than 20 to 25 people every Tuesday night. I think it’s something we’re going to continue next year.

“We really had fun,” Rackey continued. “And I think that sort of carried over into the fall with girls actually looking forward to the season.”

The team’s enthusiasm has been infectious, with Rackey enjoying her return to the sideline after a year off.

“I wasn’t quite sure whether I was going to be looking forward to it or regretting the fact that I was coming back to it,” Rackey said.

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“And I like it. I’m glad I came back.”

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