The Class of 2028 has made their mark on the field for the Dominion’s girls varsity soccer team this year. This year, the roster includes 23 players in total with eight freshmen making up a quarter of the team.
Tryouts are a competitive atmosphere and this year the coaching staff and leadership team had to choose wisely. “I always take the best [players] regardless of age, but this year’s freshman class is exceptional. I saw it in the preseason and it carried into early season success,” head coach Michael Reles said.
Dominion has not taken more than eight freshmen in any other years of girls soccer. The girls have now played four games and two scrimmages sitting at 2-1-1 and six of the freshmen have started every game so far.
The team has had to adjust to the amount of underclassmen on this year’s roster so, the teammates are looking to form chemistry and have good attitudes towards the rest of the season. “It is different having so many freshmen on the team because normally there are more upperclassmen, but as upperclassmen we try to help the freshmen and guide them through this new team,” captain Caroline Eldridge said
Luckily, some of the freshman girls have been playing at the travel level together so they have experience playing alongside one another.. Freshman Paige Meadema and Mia Mcfarland play ECNL soccer at the club Northern Virginia Alliance. “This season has been different for me compared to my club team, but the girls [make] every game and practice fun even if there is a challenge,” Meadema said.
Walking in as a freshman there have been outstanding stats for more than half of these freshman girls. Just starting from the teams first scrimmages and games of the season, the freshman Caroline Taylor, Mia Mcfarland, Camille and Evelyn Prishivalko have led the team with scoring a total of 11 out of the 15 goals this season. There has been at least one freshman a game leading the team in goals so far this 2025 season.
Looking ahead for the rest of the season, the team has already made good progress and are feeling optimistic. Mcfarland said, “I feel confident that the team will play very well for the rest of the season,” said Mcfarland.
The next game for the Titans will be on Thursday, April 3rd, at Riverside High School at 7:30.
