By Kristin Frank – Staff  Reporter

As junior captain of the girls soccer team, Bethany Edwards had a great season and led her team to success.

Edwards, personally, had a very strong season by playing her absolute hardest at every game. Her job as captain is to lead the team to a great season and pick up their spirits when needed. Being the outstanding captain she is, she did just that this fall.

“As captain I tried keeping everyone’s spirits up,” Edwards said. “Every time we would get a goal against us, I would tell my teammates to just brush it off.”

Edwards believes that coming together during a stoppage in play is very important and helps pump the players up. Soccer is a game of mostly endurance, so this will provide the players with a lot of energy to finish out the rest of a game.

“Before each half of the game, the captains have a huddle with the girls and say what we need to work on and accomplish to win, this also helps pump us up,” Edwards said.

Her teammates and fellow captains believe she does an impressive job with leading the team.

“Bethany is a great player and is very easy to get along with,” junior captain Kristen Passaro said. “She is a great leader.”

Mr. Rhode is the head coach for the girls and has watched Edwards mature and develop over the past three years.

“(She is) an outstanding player always makes their mark on the game; Bethany does just that in the midfield,” Rhode said. “Despite her smaller stature, she plays big on the field.”

Rhode has high hopes for Edwards for next year, believing she will continue to lead the team.

“She’s super technical on the ball and has outstanding vision,” said Rhode. “We rely on her to dictate plays on the field.”

Having a favorite game is very common in sports. This usually reflects off the team’s effort as a whole, as well as how that individual player performed.

Edwards explains that her favorite game was their home game against Foran High School. This game really set the pace for the rest of the season.

“At the Foran game, we beat them 4-0 which is a crazy score in soccer,” Edwards said. “We worked as a team and that pumped us up for the rest of the season.”

Edwards received the All-SCC Hammonasset Team award this year for her outstanding performance on the field and her dedication to the sport as well as her team.

To be selected for this team, an athlete is nominated by the coaches from other teams that they play against. Other girls in Law’s division will be nominated as well.

Rhode explained that he is looking forward to next year with Edwards because she’s developed strong leadership skills this past season, and has the potential to be an All-State player.

Edwards shows what a true team player really is. Many of her fellow teammates look up to her, and she is always trying to get the other players involved during games.

“Bethany helps out all the girls on the team and really knows her teammates’ strengths and weaknesses,” junior Rebecca Tighe said.

As a growing athlete, it is important for Edwards to know what she needs to work on personally during the off season. She explains that she could improve on communicating better with the other players and to talk more on the field.

All the returning players for next year are excited to build from their record of this past season. Edwards believes they are a promising young team that can only improve themselves by working to the best of their ability.

“I’m looking forward to next season,” Edwards said. “I think towards the end we really figured out how to work as a team.”