Defensive midfielder Ale Pino (12) and defender Alyssa Leano (12) staggered to the center circle of the soccer field and stood facing each other. The starting whistle blew. Leano kicked the ball to Pino. Pino turned and kicked the ball straight to a player on Poway’s team. Confusion swept over the crowd as Poway promptly kicked the ball out of bounds. It was only when Pino and Leano burst into tears when everyone realized that was the last play of both their high school seasons.

Westview rushed the field to hug their injured seniors and walk them off the field one last time. This game, Feb. 4, was the last home game and senior night, which honored the seven graduating players. Before the game, Poway agreed to let the injured seniors initiate the kick-off so they could be properly celebrated.

“It was a really special experience because some of my best friends are on this team,” Pino said. “They know how much I’ve been struggling with this injury because I don’t plan on playing soccer in college, so this was kind of the end for me.”

Pino suffered a peroneal tendon subluxation during her club season last summer when she attempted to tackle an opposing player. This injury prevents her from changing speed and direction, which is crucial in a varsity-level game.

“[The team] has been supportive of my long journey in trying to heal my ankle,” she said. “Having them support me and [Leano] on our kickoff was a really beautiful moment because it demonstrated our friendship and was a meaningful goodbye to competitive soccer for me.”

Leano tore her ACL by plating her foot wrong two days before the start of this school year. She made the difficult decision to pursue rehab instead of getting surgery, but then tore her medial and lateral meniscus during the first day of tryouts this season.

Despite the injured players, the Wolverines secured a 1-0 victory over Poway, which took them to a 9-7-2 record.

After winning the Division II San Diego Section CIFs and the Division III State Championship last season, there are high expectations for the Wolverines.

Both of these accomplishments brought them closer as a team. Since they only lost three seniors last year, the team already had a strong bond as they started this season. Even though the seniors joined varsity different years, the connections they have formed over the past two years have been meaningful to each of them.

“We added new girls but 15 of us played together last year and won states and CIFs,” center midfielder Mackenzie Camara (12) said. “We’re all together again this year, so I think the bonding and memories we made the previous season carried into this season and helped boost us. We had to take the time to get used to the new girls, but now that we’re used to each other, it’s like playing with the old team all over again,”

This team connection led them to a 1-0 victory over San Marcos High School, Feb. 11, to win the Palomar League.

Within the team, outside back Mattie Nelson (12) and forward Courtney Hall (12) have developed a significant bond over their many years playing high school and club soccer together.

“During the height of Covid we became really close through our competitive team and when high school soccer started we spent almost every single day together,” Nelson said. “Ever since then our bond has grown so much and I genuinely think of her as my family.”

Nelson and Hall have even adopted a ritual they do at the beginning of every half where they recreate the handshake from the recent Spider-Man movies.

“We thought it would be nice to have a hand-shake to commemorate our time playing together,” Hall said.

Hall and Nelson demonstrate just one of the many close friendships that have been formed because of the time spent playing soccer together.

“We’re all a mixture of introverts and extroverts, which makes it pretty cool when we talk with one another because if someone’s an introvert we’d bring out the extrovert in them,” outside defender Valeria Suarez (12) said. “We never make anyone feel left out.”

Not only does a strong bond benefit their relationships off the field, but their camaraderie on the field has been strengthened as they grew closer.

“When you’re bonded off the field, it’s a lot easier to be able to play together and have a good game,” Leano said. “You’re just more connected and you know how each other’s style of play works.”