FENNVILLE – Although the season didn't end as expected for the Fennville girls soccer team, a 3-0 loss to Calvin Christian marked a big step forward for the team.
“It's been a great season for the girls,” Fennville coach Mark Gray said. “We've made progress.”
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The Blackhawks are in the district final for the first time in more than a decade and possibly the first time in school history, and with some returning young players they should have a big shot going forward.
“It was good to get the opportunity and experience what we had. Even though it wasn't the result we wanted, we played well to get to the finals,” Fennville freshman Amy Fernandez said. “Our communication with each other has gotten better this season.”
The growth the Blackhawks showed was clear.
Fennville lost 7-0 to Saugatuck to start the season and then to two-time SAC division champion Black River.
“To come back from behind against Black River was a big win,” Gray said.
However, the Blackhawks beat Black River in the district opener and then defeated Bloomingdale to reach the finals.
Calvin Christian scored two goals in the first half and then added a third in the opening minutes of the second half.
“We were trying to control (their best players) in the middle and deny them through passes. We did well in the short term but struggled with corners and lost our pace at times,” Gray said. “Our young players will improve as the year goes on.”
Fernandez said the underclassmen will use the experiences and lessons they learned from their seniors, including A. Itzel, Ariana Velazquez, Melissa Mendoza, Valeria Ramirez, Natasha Guzman and Roselyn Delcas, in their future endeavors.
“It was a big learning opportunity for us,” Fernandez said. “The seniors were very important to us. We looked up to them as role models.”
Contact Sports Editor Dan D'Addona at Dan.D'Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter). Dandadona or Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sportss.
