Since taking over the girls’ soccer program in 2023, Coach Amanda Paulson has led the team to consistently improving seasons.

The Spartans ended the 2025 regular season on a three-game winning streak that extended into the postseason with a final record of 11-7-2. The season ended on a strong postseason run that ended in a loss in the fourth round of the Class 1A regionals with a 2-0 loss to the Hudson Pirates.

“It really came down to a lot of returning leadership,” Coach Paulsen said when asked about the cause of their success. “We didn’t graduate a huge class the year before and had a really large junior class coming in, which I think was helpful for having that strong upperclassman leadership.”

The team saw a large graduating class over the past year, losing both of their top scorers in Rose McAtee and Addi Green, who scored a combined thirty-three goals. However, the team will see the return of their third-highest scorer, Sofia Ortega, now a senior, who stood out last season with twelve goals and fifteen assists.

Although losing a large chunk of upperclassmen leadership, the team still has a large base of younger talent to step up to the challenge. One player of note is Sophia Link, a junior who had missed a large portion of the previous season due to injury.

“I’m just looking forward to being able to play with the team. I got hurt last year and wasn’t able to do that,” Link said, reflecting on the time lost last season, and looking forward to having an opportunity to create more of an impact.

Coach Paulson’s mission statement for the season ahead was clear: “I want to see the girls demonstrating some grit, like some good hard work on the field. We’re all about building out of the backfield, we’re a very possession-focused team, looking to start our attack from the backfield.”

The team’s hard-nosed play style and relentless effort align with Solon’s identity as a community, as they aim to make excellence the standard within their athletics.

In addition to Ortega, other players Coach mentioned to keep an eye on this season include two pairs of sisters in Delany (Sr) and Ellie (So) Durr, and Avery (So) and Laney (Jr) Johnson. The Spartans will be looking for another improved season under coach Paulson, focused on character building and grit.