Ever wondered what it would be like to have 25 new best friends?

According to senior varsity soccer player Mary Swisher, it’s an uplifting experience and it’s all thanks to the amazing people she’s met from playing soccer.

As a result, it’s not a surprise that Cal High’s women’s varsity soccer team has a nearly spotless overall record of 10-3-5.

Cal locked up the No. 5 seed in the NCS playoffs, and a first round home game against No. 12 Deer Valley tonight at 7 p.m. 

The Grizzlies (5-3-5 EBAL)were ranked as high as 11th in the state and 25th nationally before dropping its only three games and tying several others. After Thursday’s 1-0 loss to first-place Carondelet, Cal is ranked 32nd in the state, 72nd nationally, according to maxpreps.com.

First-year head coach Edgard Vidrio attributes the team’s success to how well the girls are bonding.

“It’s all about chemistry,” said Vidrio, who started coaching at Cal last year when he served as the head coach for the men’s JV team. “[And also] making sure that the girls get along and have each others backs while working hard.”

Senior team captain Ashley Ward agrees. 

“We owe it to team chemistry and the great talent from over the summer,” said Ward. “On top of that our sophomores are great and keep on their toes.”

Even though Ward has been on varsity for four years, she says she’s never found it to be stressful. It’s quite the opposite actually. 

“If anything, it helps me de-stress,” said Ward.

Swisher also feels that the reason for their success is because everyone is having fun and enjoying themselves. 

“It also helps to have a new coach,” Swisher explained. 

Junior team captain Izzy Perez agreed with Swisher.

 “The new coach has definitely helped a lot,” Perez said. “But teamwork and having fun was a huge part of it, too.”

Vidrio said the team’s philosophy is that there’s no pressure to not make mistakes. Each teammate is expected to help the other recover and motivate the players to do well in the long run.

Members of team described how difficult the season has been as the Grizzlies have bounced up and down in the state and national rankings.

Every week Cal plays teams who are ranked in the top 20 and in the state. Currently, Carondelet is ranked 7th in the state, while Monte Vista is 19th. Cal’s three losses came to these teams. All three games were tightly contested and decided by one goal. 

But Vidro isn’t too worried.

“On top of great chemistry, the girls also have a lot of talent,” said Vidrio. “And when they’re working hard, they still manage to have fun.”

In order to incorporate a more diverse workout, the team has Friday fun days where they play a variety of different games. Previous activities have included Zumba, relay races, and a combination of either tennis and soccer or softball and soccer.

Another reason for their great success is the team goals they set. Vidrio explained how the goals weren’t things such as, “Score more goals,” or, “Win more games.” 

Perez said their main goal was to win league and to qualify for NCS. She added that even though it can be a lot to handle, it’s definitely worth it. 

The girls were expected to create team goals in which none of the objectives were about wins or loses. Goals that they’ve set so far include making the playoffs, maintaining a good ranking in order to have home field advantage, and keeping everyone healthy. 

Overall, the consensus has been that the best part of being on the team is the familial aspect. Sophomores Nikki and Lexi Trucco were most excited about having a huge group of friends who all worked hard and were bonded.

“The upperclassmen are really nice,” said Lexi Trucco. “With their help, we improve and stay bonded.”