With playoffs right around the corner, the lady bronco’s soccer team really ended their district games with a bang. 

The lady bronco’s soccer team played against Plaquemine on Monday the 30, not only was this the last district game it was also their senior night. The goal of this game was to just have fun and to get all six seniors a goal, and it was very successful. Since it was senior night Zachary High’s, Band of Blue, came out to support the lady broncos keeping the audience and players hyped. From the sound of the first whistle, the girls played with everything they had, putting forth only 110 percent throughout the whole game. By the end of first half, the lady broncos were up by four points, scored by Jordan Styranec,12, Maddison Ballard, 12, Olivia Durand, 12, and Trinity Spence, 9. During half time all teammates, varsity and junior varsity, came together to celebrates this year’s seniors, Maddison Ballard, Olivia Durand, Hailey Gleason, Annie Maas, Jordan Styranec, and Lucille Yoes. As each senior’s name was called, they walked down a red carpet where they received a poster, rose, and gift basket from their fellow teammates. The emotion that the girls showed just proved how much they love this game and their teammates. After the ceremony was over, all the girls congratulated and comforted each other, but the heartfelt emotions soon came to an end when the girls had to quickly run back on to the field to finish out the game. With the emotions high and their hearts more in the game than before, the girls continued to get the last three seniors their goals. In the second half, four more goals were scored by, Jordan Styranec, 12, Hailey Gleason, 12,  Annie Maas, 12, and Lucille Yoes. Finishing the game early, after mercy ruling Plaquemine, the girls rushed onto the field into a big group hug before cordially thanking the other teams and refs hands.  

Coach Angie Mitchel would like to congratulate the team, she feels that her first season coaching the lady broncos was a success. Coach Angie expresses that “Watching girls graduate every year is tough. You lose somebody that you really connected with or someone you’ve known for a really long time, that you just happened to coach. Even though it’s tough to watch them graduate, it’s also encouraging at the same time, because you know that it’s a part of life and they have to move on.” Coach Angie encourages future lady broncos to start working on their skill, and to maybe even try to get involved with the team in some way. She has seen how much the lady broncos have improved just from the beginning of season till now, she feels that the “future is bright for our soccer team.” 

Lady Broncos Soccer 2023 Seniors 

Senior Madison Ballard (pictured right) is feeling nervous about college, she expresses how leaving home is nerve-racking. Some of her favorite memories as a lady bronco came from the bus rides there and back to away games. The game against Plaquemine brought a lot of mixed emotions for Madison, she expresses how “it was really exciting, but I was also kind of sad because it was one of my last couple of games as a bronco and that’s upsetting.” She is going to miss all her friends that she is used to seeing almost every day: “When we go off to college, we are all going to go our separate ways and we aren’t going to see each other as much.” Lastly, she advises lower classmen and upcoming freshman to simply just enjoy high school because it goes by fast. 

Senior Hailey Gleason (not pictured) is thankful that she got to play on her senior night due to an injury that she obtained four days prior, although she was in pain, she expresses that it was a very exciting game. Going into the next step in her life, she is in a state of uncertainty because she will not know about college until March, which makes her a little scared. Her most memorable moment was at the Plaquemine game when she got to score her first goal, ending the game at 8-0 and the rush of excitement that followed when the whole team stormed on to the field to give her a huge group hug. Her advice is to “let the game be fun and don’t put too much pressure on it, enjoy the little things, don’t worry about trying to be perfect.” 

Senior Olivia Durand (pictured left) is ecstatic to start the next chapter in her life, she can’t wait to see what is in store for her these next four years and beyond that. Olvia is going to miss all the fun extra activities that the team participates in, she has made some of her best soccer memories at team dinners. She gives a shout out to Zachary High’s Band of Blue for coming out and hyping her up during the game, expressing that the band made the night extra special, and very memorable. She explains how she was very excited to play and that she knew that this win was very attainable. She states that her advice “would be to cherish every moment you have in high school, four years goes by super-fast, especially your freshman year, you think that it’s a long time, but it really flies by. Have fun especially with soccer, put in effort but don’t put too much pressure on yourself.” 

Senior Annie Maas (pictured left) encourages fellow players to not let other people decide how they want to play, be who you want on and off the field. She explains her love for soccer, she never fails to enter a game smiling, she goes on to say, “It’s where I feel like I belong the most and it makes me happy.” Just like her fellow seniors she is nervous to start something new, but is enthralled by the thought of her future. Annie expresses her love for the team and how she loves “being part of the team, it’s really like being part of a family, everyone supports one another and has each other’s backs.”

Senior Jordan Styranec (pictured right) explains how it’s overwhelming to think about college, going on to say that it is a really big transition and how she is going to have to figure out life on her own which can also be scary. During her two years of soccer, she grew her love for the sport and for the girls on the team, she explains how the team truly became her family and how she looks at every girl as her sister. Senior night was very emotional for everyone, including Jordan. As she goes to graduate, the advice she leaves behind is “to make the most of high school because it goes by fast and to enjoy all the activity’s while you can. Always try your best in classes as well because they mean a lot in the end.” 

Senior Lucille Yoes (pictured left) is ready for college, and ready to see what her future will bring. For Lucille the senior night game was full of excitement, she explains how, “the band playing, all the girls having fun, and the support from the crowd made it a great last soccer game for me.” Looking back on all her memories with bittersweet feelings she talks about how she will miss seeing all her friends that she has known since she was young. Lucille tells the upcoming freshman to, “enjoy your time where you are and don’t look to forward into your future that you wish away your present.” 

Congratulations to the 2023 lady broncos’ soccer seniors!