Out of all the different sports at Fuquay Varina High School, the women’s soccer team has one of the best pedigrees of success. The Lady Bengals won a state championship in 2018 which makes them one of the few programs, along with baseball, to have a championship in the past decade. 

This year’s Lady Bengals got off to a slow start to the season, losing their first three matches against tough competition. After not having a goal on the season, the team exploded in their fourth game against South Garner, winning by a score of 10-1. This victory seemed to kickstart the year for the Bengals as they currently sit at a 6-7-2 overall record while being 6-3-1 in conference play. 

“There were a lot of new faces at the beginning of the year. At first, it was difficult to play with new people, but over time everyone began to mesh well with each other, and we became very close like a family,” said senior Emma Dranttel.

Sophomore Leila Utate leads the team in goals thus far into the season while freshman Isa Ortiz leads the way in assists per match. With how young this team is, many would call the season that they are currently having success and a great building block for the next couple of years.                       

Fuquay is currently sitting ranked no. 30 overall in 4A East which puts them on the right side of the bubble for the state playoffs. The team will most certainly be looking to pick up some quality wins down the stretch in order to boost their resume and ultimately lock up a playoff spot. 

The women’s soccer team has created a very tight-knit atmosphere which makes life on and off the field fun for the student-athletes. 

“Fuquay soccer to me means being able to be accepted for who you are and never feeling alone. Through the team, I have made lifelong friends and I know that the team will always have my back no matter what,” explained Dranttel. 

The Lady Bengal’s next game will be at Clayton on Monday, April 17, at 6 p.m.