The Oxford High School Lady Chargers soccer team made it to North Half, but fell short of going to state with a 1-2 loss to Tupelo that went into double overtime. This was the first time girls soccer has made it to North Half in eight years.

Kate Nordstrom is a junior captain of the Oxford Lady Chargers soccer team. She has been playing soccer her whole life and also competes in club soccer outside of school. Nordstrom believes this has been a long time coming, well-deserved victory because of the effort this team has put into bettering the team as a whole.

“We had never made it past the second round no matter the amount of talent that surrounded [the team], so breaking that eight year long streak felt shocking,” Nordstrom said. “I felt way more comfortable this year going into the game as well as more confident, but at the same time I was nervous.”

Since nobody on the team at the time had experienced the emotions and insight of the pressure of North Half, many were anxious and unaware of what it would feel like in the game.

“Even as an upperclassman I was really nervous,” Nordstrom said. “I was talking to my brother and my coach because the boys went to North Half last year, and they told me you can not let it get to you because there is going to be a lot of people watching. I think it was really important for the younger girls to experience such an important game at such a young age because the more you experience games like those the less scary they seem moving forward. I think that it helped all of us understand that big games can be scary, but you do not have to make them scary.”

Jane Irwin is a freshman starter of the Oxford Lady Chargers soccer team. This was her second season playing with the Lady Chargers. Irwin believes the young team with not a lot of game experience led to them being mentally unprepared because even the seniors had not experienced an important game such as North Half.

“The main challenge this season was staying mentally strong and getting out of our heads about things,” Irwin said. “There were times when we let things get to us that may have blocked our game abilities. A lot of it comes from being nervous before a game, but I think it will not affect us next season because we do not want to go through that pain again, whether it be suffering a loss or knowing we could have played better after a game.”

Finally being able to say they have gotten past round two and witnessing that it is possible to make it to North Half has left things on the table for next year to further their progress through the playoffs.

“This season obviously meant a lot to me because it was my first year being an upperclassman,” Nordstrom said. “I took on a leadership role which really helped me develop relationships among everyone on the team. All of us are so close because we have been playing with each other since we were kids, so it was really amazing to see such development among the team from last year to this year.”

The Oxford High School recently built a new soccer field at the middle school, creating more obstacles the team had to overcome this season because of the new environment the team had to consider when drawing up plans that required them to adapt quickly. Their new field’s unique features highlight a wider field compared to the rest of the district’s fields, creating a home field advantage because teams are not used to playing on such a wide field. This means their wingers become more useful.

“There were a lot of new starters that were playing on the field, and I think that gaining confidence is a really important part of the sport,” Nordstrom said. “People need that, but we got over that pretty early on in the season because everyone was super comfortable with each other. It is a big change to go from not playing to playing on a brand new field with fans and everything because it is a completely different atmosphere.”

Madison Strum is a senior captain on the Lady Chargers soccer team and has become a key asset to the team, being one of their lead scorers. Strum has made many memories with those who are younger on the team and feels very close to everyone this season.

“The bonds really grew over the years,” Strum said. “For example, my first three years I would never talk outside of school or soccer to my fellow teammates compared to this past year where I would like to hang out and talk and want to do everything together during the season. I will miss them all so much because I am closer than ever with them this year.”

Amie Kate Reed is a sophomore on the Lady Chargers soccer team and starts as winger. Reed hopes to continue developing the bonds she has made with the team throughout the next couple of years.

“This season was such a special season because our seniors were amazing, and we have grown overall as a team over the years,” Reed said. “Out of all the years I have been on the team, this has been the most special because everyone has been best friends, and that has been a huge accomplishment.”

Strum, along with the upperclassmen, tried to make sure everybody was ready for every game. They are hoping some of that motivation will carry over the next few years to keep them working hard because they know what it takes to get far in the season now.

“This season meant a lot to me because it was my last season playing soccer for Oxford, and the team meant so much to me,” Strum said. “My goal for this year was obviously to win the state championship, but just making it past the second round felt so good because none of us had ever been there.”

Sonia Sandoval is a senior captain of the Oxford Lady Chargers soccer team. Sandoval gives credit to their ability to compete due to their perseverance and grit on and off the field.

“Going to North Half was really exciting because we knew that we could accomplish anything, and we knew that we could go far,” Sandoval said. “Suddenly it just ended, but we all felt good knowing the work we put into the games. How we stretch, get ready to go, and play our hearts out when it comes to games seemed to pay off.”

One of the flaws the Lady Chargers have is the lack of upperclassmen on their team, as the team consists of three seniors and one of them has been injured, so majority of those who start are underclassmen. This led to the upperclassmen having to step up and set exemplary expectations among the team. They did just that and became idols to the younger players.

“This season with this team meant so much to me,” Irwin said. “The atmosphere I was surrounded by was truly a dream. I would not have wanted to do it with any other team. The seniors have made this season very special. I was so happy to have such a phenomenal experience this season with their guidance and encouragement. We fought so hard against every team we played and it really showed spirit and dedication throughout the season.”