The Rancocas Valley girls soccer team is over halfway through their 2021 season with a winning record of 11-1. The team is currently on a seven game winning streak as they prepare to take on Haddonfield on the turf this afternoon. The Lady Red Devils plan to close out the season and prepare for their run in the BCSL playoffs. Leading their division and first in the Burlington County Soccer League conference, the Lady Red Devils will host home-field advantage for the majority of their games. With the support of their student section causing havoc on the sidelines, it looks like the team will have a solid advantage over competitors.

The team’s depth is only one of their key assets to their winning season, as they hold 12 seniors on the roster. Their dominant performances by the underclassmen and powerful, experienced senior class have contributed to their success and will heighten their chances for a state championship this year. 

The Lady Red Devils have scored an impressive 34 goals on the season with 32 assists. Leading scorer and junior captain Kennedy Garcia has been highly talked about by her teammates and coaches. She leads verbally and with her actions, and she currently leads the team with 12 goals and six assists overall this season. The second leading scorer, sophomore forward Leah Howe, has brought six goals to the team. Her aggressive play style near the goal has helped create many offensive possessions for the Lady Red Devils. Senior midfielder Logan Shaw comes in third so far with five goals and 10 assists. 

Continuity and continuous development are two things that have made the team successful. Many players point to the fact that everyone seems to be working towards the same larger goal for the season: constantly improving.

“I think it’s going really well and I feel that we really work as a team and have a common goal to win,” said senior midfielder Elaina Corson of the season so far. “We want to make it far in the tournament because we lost in the first round last year. I don’t think we are preparing for any team in particular, [we are] just preparing for every team we come across.”

Head Coach Jay Flanagan pointed to the passion and vigor of opponents in the team’s schedule as a catalyst for constantly staying ahead of the game. This “high intensity,” according to Flanagan, has led to some close games, but it’s also kept the team on its toes, never allowing them to get too comfortable despite their successful record.

With six games remaining, they look to maintain their strong start and finish the regular season on top, as the number one seeded team in the Burlington County Soccer League. The Lady Devils take on Haddonfield this afternoon at 4 p.m. on the turf.