What do you get when you combine spring break, Alabama sunshine, and an excellent soccer team? For the Lady Indians, this equated to back-to-back wins in Gulf Shores to begin the season.

The Lady Indians defeated Fairhope High School, 4-0, on March 20 in their first game and topped Foley High School the following day, 2-0, proving to themselves that they can beat excellent teams, and away from home, no less. “These two games really showed us how well we can play as a team,” said senior captain Gabbie Wiesner (‘17).

Before they could showcase their prowess on the pitch, the Lady Indians had to endure a 14-hour bus ride to reach their destination. No one likes getting up at the crack of dawn to sit on a bus for 14 hours, but, as Savannah Smith (‘19) notes, it was a valuable one for the team as a whole. “It was a great team bonding experience, and we grew closer together because of it,” she said.

Jordan Crandall (‘17) admits that it was not the most comfortable bus ride, but that it was enjoyable nonetheless. “It was uncomfortable, but being with the girls for that length of time was fun and made it much better,” she said.

Wiesner emphasizes the excitement the team expressed on the long ride. “Everyone was just so anxious to get there,” she said. “We were all singing, yelling, laughing, and just trying to make the most of a 14-hour bus ride.”

There was plenty to be happy about for the Lady Indians on this trip, from their excellent performance on the field to spending time with each other on the beach.  And for Johanna Otterstedt (‘17), a foreign exhange student from Sweden, it was an especially thrilling experience. “We had a lot of fun and got closer as a team,” she said, “and it was obviously fun for me to see more of America.”

The Lady Indians look to build off of this trip and carry their success over into the rest of the season. They have struggled as of late, but the trip certainly showed them how well they can play against stiff competition. “It showed us what we as a team are capable of accomplishing,” Crandall said, “and it proved to us the lengths to which we are capable of going during the season.”