Teamwork was the word of the day at the Maxpreps award ceremony for the varsity girls soccer team as parents, students, and administrators gathered to honor and congratulate the team.

Head Coach Ivan Bandov and his team received the award today from the California National Guard in the MVHS science quad, after a season in which the team had 19 wins, one loss, and three ties.

“It’s a nice honor from Maxpreps for the terrific season that allowed us to finish eighth out of 16,000,” Bandov said. “We had a very talented group this year, and one of the biggest things that helped us was how they got along. It really allowed them to shine on the field.”

To receive the Maxpreps award, a team must be highly ranked in the Maxpreps computer rankings (MVHS was ranked 8th), and have won a CCS Open Division Championship, which MVHS did against Archbishop Mitty. According to Maxpreps, a high school sports reporting website and the sponsor of this award, this places MVHS in the top 0.1% of varsity teams nationwide.

Captain Allie Coyne, a senior, expressed how proud she was of her team’s accomplishment.

“It feels incredible after many months of hard work to see what we’ve gotten to, we’re all super proud of each other,” Coyne said. “The team camaraderie this year really helped. We’re all super passionate about the sport and willing to make each other work hard at practices.”

Sergeants Michael Watkins and Glenn Walling, the California National Guard sergeants presenting the award, concurred that teamwork and community were paramount to the team’s success this year, and one of the main factors that Maxpreps seeks when selecting teams for the award.

“We look for courage, a lot of heart, rising above adversity–qualities that many strive for but that few possess,” Watkins said.

“The ability to work as a team and community is really important,” Walling echoed.