The Ventura College stadium buzzed with anticipation as the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) girls’ soccer team took the field for an emotional game against The Thacher School (Thacher) on Jan. 23, for the Dragon’s senior night. The game would end in a 2-1 win for Foothill Tech, solidifying the team’s place in first in league and taking their record to 8-1-1.
The night opened amidst cheers from proud parents as heartfelt speeches were delivered to departing seniors Claire Hadley ‘24, Cameryn Henuber ‘24, Taylor Liston ‘24, Lupita Gonzales ‘24, Alessia Saliby ‘24, Shayna Dearman-So ‘24, Stephania Botello ‘24, Eden Billings ‘24 and Kimberly Lotz ‘24, giving thanks to the athletes for their dedication to the program over the past four years. The night was bittersweet as it marked the end of an era for the Dragons, but allowed celebration for all that the team’s seniors had accomplished.
With the emotions from the senior night still in the air, the game kicked off fast with Foothill Tech playing overwhelmingly offensively on the field. The first half was a back-and-forth game as the Dragons made several attempts on goal but to no avail over Thacher’s defense. The Foothill Tech goalkeeper, Addison Fallon ’25 kept Thacher in check throughout the half, making several impressive saves and preventing any goals. Despite the Dragon’s relentless efforts, the first half concluded with a score of 0-0, as both teams steadfastly refused to yield an inch on the field.
Shea Stevenson ‘26 reflected on her performance in the first half, stating, “I think in the first half I kind of struggled a bit, I was really anxious about the game because I really wanted to win for the seniors.”
During the second half, the intensity further increased as both teams attempted to put points on the board. Foothill Tech quickly found their stride as Siena Meter ‘26 let off an impressive shot from center field which bypassed Thacher’s keeper and established a lead for the Dragons.
Shortly after, Thacher responded with an attack on Foothill Tech’s goal line as they broke through the Dragon’s defense and tied the game, 1-1. Foothill Tech, now in need of a second goal to win the game, continued to press hard and fight for any attempt at goal.
In the final ten minutes of the game, Hadley released a long distance shot which sunk into goal and secured the victory for the Dragons with a final score of 2-1.
Head coach Patty Gomez commented on the team’s dedication on and off the field as well as the profound emotions of senior night, reflecting, “There’s always a lot of emotion we want to play for our seniors we want to win for our seniors, so the girls were really in tune.”
The Dragons hope to continue their forward momentum into the next game against Bishop Garcia Diego High School (Bishop Diego) on Jan. 25, at Ventura College.
