On Thursday, April 9, the North Lady Knights freshmen soccer team will take on Fort Zumwalt West at 4 p.m. The game will be held at North, making it the freshmen team’s first home game of the season.

“I’m kind of nervous,” forward, Casey Andrews, said, “because I heard they are good, but I have faith in the team.”

According to members of the team, they work really well together.  They listen to the coach, and they have bonded well.

“We are really close,” Andrews said.  “The coach said that we bonded better than any team she has coached before.”

The girls all possess certain qualities that are needed to make a good team.

“They are all positive,” Coach Jackie Gettemeier said, “willing and ready to learn; and they are all dedicated to the game.”

Gettemeier said that this is her fourth year coaching soccer for North.

“It’s something different every day,” Gettemeier said.

As for defender, Sydney DuFrenne, she will have to watch the game from the sidelines.    She tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a game against Troy Buchanan, and she will likely be out for the rest of the season. DuFrenne still has support for the team, and she plans to go to the game Thursday.

“We’ve had a rough start,” DuFrenne said, “but we have a good shot.”

Other players on the team are either excited or nervous. For goalie, Nicole Piatchek, it’s a mixture of both.

“I’m both excited and nervous,” Piatchek said. “I’m excited because I get to play, but I’m nervous because at times I feel like the whole game comes down on me.”

Piatchek, like her teammates and coach, has high hopes for the rest of the season.

“Hopefully, we’ll keep on playing good,” Piatchek said, “and win our games.”

Midfielder, Cristina Bodden, is excited for the upcoming game.

“I’m excited,” Bodden said. “I like playing soccer, and it will be fun trying to win.”

Gettemeier believes this is the team’s chance to win.  She thinks it’s time the team has their first win.

“We are working well together,” Gettemeier said, “[we are] doing the right things. We need our first win, and I think this is it.”