With a new lineup and attitude, the girls soccer team wanted to set the tone for the rest of the season at last week’s Metro Cup. Teams from all around the St. Louis area came together to test the waters for the rest of the upcoming season.

“We used this tournament as a starting point, to learn and grow from,” senior Emma Hensley said. “With so many seniors, it’s really exciting to see what we can make of our last year together.”

Edwardsville started strong in the tournament, defeating Springfield 3-0 at the Edwardsville Tiger Stadium. Juniors Rileigh Kuhns and freshmen Payton Federmann and Macie Hockett all scored, with junior goalie Rachel Hensley reporting two saves.

“Our team was hyped up going into the first game of our new season,” senior Katrina Agustin said. “But, as the week went on, you could tell that the team needed better connections with each other.”

After the Springfield game, the team found themselves scoreless for the next three games against Triad High School, Columbia High School and Waterloo High School. Triad capitalized on their few scoring chances, scoring the lone goal in the 33rd minute and finishing the game 1-0.

“Any time you come to Edwardsville and play on this field, you are in for a run for your money. They are always so good, and they play so well on the field,” Triad head coach Matt Bettlach told the Edwardsville Intelligencer. “For us to come away with a victory is huge for us.”

Next, Edwardsville was defeated by Columbia High School in a 3-0 game. Columbia went on to win their pool at the Metro Cup, with Edwardsville falling to 1-2 in the tournament.

EHS closed the tournament with a 1-0 loss to Waterloo High School, again plagued with their scoring drought. The team finished the tournament 1-3.

“We need to get that oomph back in offense so we can get back to scoring goals and winning games,” Agustin said. “But we have plenty of games and plenty of time to get our game up.”

After the Metro Cup handed out the trophies, the team bounced back with during a conference rematch against Triad on Monday, winning 2-0.

“We have a packed season, and using games to work on formations is essential,” Hensley said. “We just have to keep in mind that the ultimate goal is the state title.”