The Bloomington South girls soccer team is no stranger to success. They have secured four straight conference titles marked by an impressive undefeated streak against conference foes and finished last year’s season state runner-up. The Panthers (11-3-1) will travel to Terre Haute North Vigo High School to take on the Bedford North Lawrence Stars (3-9-1) in the 3A bottom bracket semifinal on Oct. 10, 2024.
For senior captains Maddie Talbott and Gianna Stanton, their four years with the team have been about much more than just wins. It’s been about friendship, teamwork, and togetherness.
“It’s super cool that every year I’ve been in high school we’ve won conference,” Talbott said.
“I think a big part of [our success] is [that] we’re just so close as a team. We’re all friends, [and] we [play] for each other. It’s not like an individual thing where we want to be the standout player. We want to win for the whole team. It’s been that way through all four years I’ve been here.”
“We hold a [winning] standard [in] our program,” Stanton said, “so it’s awesome, just [keeping] the standard and [knowing] that we’re going to keep going [up] from [here]…we play together as a family and we [want to win] for each other.”
The team’s journey to sectionals has been shaped by their experience in last year’s state finals where they fell just short of the title, losing to Noblesville 3-1. While the pressure to repeat such a performance looms large, the Panthers have embraced it.
“I feel like coming in [to the season] we’ve had a weight on our back a little bit. [A State Finals appearance] is a lot to live up to, but [a lot of it comes down to] just trusting the process,” Talbott said.
“The beginning of the season was kind of rough. The first couple games were hard…[but] we’re, [playing] our best soccer now. Instead of peaking at the beginning of the season, we’re starting to play better and better each game.”
For the whole team, Stanton noted that the key to success has always been the team’s mindset.
“With the four years that I’ve [played at South], our expectation [has been] to win. That’s how we go about our practices, our games, and our scrimmages. We want to win. Not only win, but play well. We do that by having intensive practices and making sure that we’re supportive of each other, but also pushing each other to our limits.”
As they gear up for their first sectional game, the Panthers are focused on their strengths – staying connected and playing a team game.
“I feel like we’re very connected as a team. We have a lot of heart,” Talbott said.
Stanton added, “I’d say that we do a good job of playing as a team, passing the ball, and connecting with each other.”
But the road hasn’t been without challenges. With junior Helena Cutshall tearing her ACL and meniscus versus the always physical Castle Knights, the team was forced to find ways to adapt.
“[Cutshall] is a really big player for us, so her getting hurt was [a big] problem. But [players] have stepped up. Just because it may not be as strong up top [without Cutshall], we have other areas of the field that have to step up as well,” Talbott explained.
Stanton acknowledged the loss of key seniors from last year as being a challenge they had to overcome this season. “We lost a bunch of seniors last year. They were big pieces [to the team], so I think [adjusting] was [a challenge].”
Most notably, the team lost forward Katharine Lacy, who now attends DePauw University and has made an immediate impact on their team, demonstrated by her scoring a hat trick in the Tiger’s game against The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College on Sept. 24, 2024.
Despite these obstacles, the Panthers remain somewhat unfazed by the pressure. For them, it’s an opportunity, not a burden, with head coach David Prall quoting Billie Jean King, “Pressure is a privilege.”
Stanton said, “We want to earn and [have] that pressure. I think for me, adrenaline causes me to play better, and as a team, having a bunch of fans and people encouraging [the team] is something that keeps us going.”
When asked what sets this year’s team apart, both Talbott and Stanton pointed to the combination of experience and new talent stepping up.
“We have a lot of [players] who have really [stepped] into their roles,” Talbott said, specifically highlighting junior Valerie Bunde, freshman Maddie Norman, and sophomore goalie Paloma Martinez.
As seniors, Talbott and Stanton are conscious of how fleeting their time with the team could be, but are determined to make every moment count.
“It’s scary, but I’m really trying to focus on the game and not that [it could be] my last,” Talbott shared, emotionally. “[Soccer has] been a really important part of my [time in] high school, and these girls are my best friends. I feel so lucky that I’ve been able to be on the soccer team and I hope to keep [playing] as long as possible.”
Stanton expressed similar feelings. “It’s really sad because you never know when [it’s going to be] your last practice [or] your last game. A lot of emotions are always rushing through, especially sad ones because you want to cherish everything.”
Should the Panthers win, they will advance to face the winner of the Terre Haute North vs. Terre Haute South matchup. The game to determine which team will be advancing to regionals will be held on Oct. 12 at 2 p.m.
