The varsity girl’s soccer team remains undefeated halfway through their season with a record of 14-0-1. Their winning streak has earned them spot #15 in the nation, making them the team to beat here in St. Louis.

The season started off with a massive 5-1 win over long-time rival Incarnate Word Academy. The victory was led by freshman Gracie Bindbeutel, who showed up the older competition with her first varsity goal, while sophomore Ashley Martinez established strong ownership in the middle of the pitch. The underclassmen have proved themselves vital to the success of the team.

“We took them in right as the season started and made them feel a part of this family. Having this bond with everyone has led us to succeed in practice, which motivates us for games. We go into games with this drive that I haven’t seen in so long. This team is a special one,” senior and co-captain Maddy Stewart said.

The match against Incarnate sparked a four game winning streak for the ladies. The team’s only tie came against the at-the-time 18 in the nation, Lee’s Summit West, and moved the Crusaders up from 48 to 18 in the country. The girls then went on to defeat Rockwood Summit in penalty shootouts last week and Nerinx Hall on Monday, after freshman Jess Larson scored the game-winner with only 27 seconds left. These performances bumped the girls up to 15 in the nation and clinched their ranking of 1 in the Midwest region.

“The way we fight for each other sends a message to our opponents that they can’t react to. It makes us intimidating and dangerous to other teams. I see so much motivation, drive and dedication in this team,” Stewart said.

With still more than a month to go in their season, the girl’s soccer team will continue to aim towards their goal of class competitions in Kansas City at the end of May. The odds of making it are very much in their favor.