The boys’ and girls’ teams end their seasons with inter-squad scrimmages on the upper and lower fields. 

“Over the course of the season, we have all been trying to lift each other up as players and as people in general, in the academy we have established a fact that it’s fine to make mistakes. All that matters is how we try to fix our mistakes, because that’s how we grow,” junior Nicky Lawrence said. 

The teams have showcased values of resilience and teamwork throughout their season which are evident from their results. On the boys side, the team has faced a lot of challenges such as injuries. However, they have managed to overcome these challenges and improve as they face hardship. 

“Thanks a lot to Erin, Donny and our coaches that have made it easier for us to overcome such challenges, we have persevered through times of hardship such as injuries, losses, and much more,” Lawrence said. 

The players have praised their coaching staff for their contributions as they reflect on the season. All three teams have ended with winning records: the U19 girls’ team ended 12-8-5, the U17 boys’ team ended 19-17-3 and the U19 boys’ team ended 42-9-7.

Along with those results, a new scoring record has been set by Lawrence with 59 goals, the most in the academy’s history. The teams have had a triumphant season, winning showcases, college games and tournaments. However, despite the successes in the season, this is the last year for the girls’ academy. It is unknown whether or not the girls’ academy will resume in the future, but that is how it stands as of now. Despite the bad news, team members reflected on a successful campaign this season.

“My favorite thing about this season was seeing my young team develop and mature as they play together,” junior Jaeden Gordon said. “This is a result of our work ethic in practice and our punctuality on the field everyday.”

The team has seen a lot of development over the course of the season, which is backed up by the team’s results. The U17 team was predominantly populated by freshmen, who took advice from their coaching staff and older teammates to improve their abilities on the field and off the field.

“I feel like I’ve managed to influence the younger players in the academy to tune into a faster speed of play, and I’ve given them tips to improve them as players and as people in general,” junior Ailan Panton said. 

The academy has had a set of players with appearances, trials and call-ups for their national teams this year including senior William Gardiner, senior William Evans, senior Lachlin Lambert, senior Joshie Campbell, senior Eddy Salaverri, senior Jaydon Whittaker, Gordon, Lawrence, Panton and sophomore Preston Duval. Now that their season is over, the team is focused on staying in shape over the summer and carrying what they’ve learned throughout the season into next year for them to hit the ground running. 

“We don’t have anything as a team in specific, however, the players are expected to keep training over summer and stay in shape as we transition into next season. This group is devoted to getting better so I don’t put these expectations past them,” Gordon said.