Girls Soccer Ends in the Pouring Rain

On Feb. 17, 2026, our MBHS girls’ soccer team traveled two hours into the valley to face off against Sierra Pacific for the second round of CIF playoffs. “On the bus ride there, we were not locked in; we didn’t focus on the game ahead of us,” said junior Coco Fortini. “The bus ride felt really long, and it drained all our energy,” said sophomore Faith Racine. 

The bus ride wasn’t the only thing that threw off the girls in this 0-3 loss. As they were warming up, it started to rain. “We don’t play well in the rain, it’s not our element,” said Racine. The rain created a wet environment on Sierra Pacific’s ragged field. The ground was covered in mud, and there were divots in the field where water was pooling, stopping the ball from continuing to roll. “Honestly, if we had better energy, we could’ve beat that team easily,” said Racine. 

“It was a snowball effect that happened. We kept getting frustrated and upset every time they scored, and it felt like we had given up by the time they scored their third goal,” said Fortini. As poorly as this game went, because the girls were not in the right mindset, and tired from the traveling, they had a great season in comparison to the past. “We haven’t made CIF the last two years, so despite the loss, it was cool to at least make it to the second round,” said Fortini. 

The Pirates ended 8-11-2 overall this season, when last season they were 3-13-1, and in 2024 they were 5-18-2. The program has taken a turn for the better with a new coaching staff. “Our coach really helped us be a better team; he’s changed the program and helped us all grow,” said Racine.

With lots of growth this season, and a better record than in past years, the girls are proud of themselves and their teammates. “I’m proud of us wanting to win for each other and working as a team to get that goal,” said Racine. “I’m proud of the way we’ve continued to improve over the years and how we were able to connect as a team really fast,” said Fortini, who’s been in the program for three years now and has seen the changes the team has gone through to get where they are now. “On senior night, we fought to win for the seniors; we just wanted them to have a good night,” said Racine.

Congratulations to the girls’ season, and hopefully, more growth will be made next season with new goals for all. “Going into next year, my senior year, my goals are to not be hard on myself because of the outcome that happens,” said Fortini, “I think having a good mindset and being positive is really important. I want to be able to be open to new things.” With the girls making it farther into the playoffs than they have in the past, they end their season on a happy note of growth.