Brainerd Girls’ Soccer’s Relentless Pressure Key to Hot Start

The girls’ soccer season is approaching the one-month mark, and Brainerd is looking exceptional thus far, posting a 7-3 record while also remaining undefeated in Central Lakes Conference play at 5-0.

Brainerd girls’ soccer has outscored its opponents 31 to 12 through its first 10 contests. On the offensive side of the pitch, it has been a complete team effort, with over 15 different Warriors tallying points.

“The logo on the back of our shirt is ‘Stronger Together,’” said senior forward Lilly DeRosier. “I think that’s the motto that we live by and play by every single day, is that we’re stronger together and we have to do everything together, and I think that shows every game.”

However, a couple of Warriors have stood out in finding the back of the net, with DeRosier, a University of Sioux Falls commit, and sophomore forward Macy Castle each having nine goals on the season.

“Our mindset is just to try and get any through balls, any passes, just pass together,” Castle stated.

“Me and Macy, being able to play together for the last three years, I feel like we have some really good combinations,” DeRosier added. “We have a really good connection, so it’s been really fun for us to be able to work really good together up top and get the goals in.”

That pressure the two forwards are applying to the opposition not only enables Brainerd’s offense, but also their defense, allowing three or fewer shots on goals in nearly half of their first 10 matches.

“It’s a lot of communication amongst our players,” explained senior goalkeeper Chloe Patrick. “Just talking, who has who, if someone’s going to step to the player, who’s covering? Who’s going for the ball? Who’s passing where? If we’re swinging it, if we’re switching it, just constant communication keeps the ball up in our attacking third.”

This is the second straight year the Warriors have won at least seven of their first 10 contests. However, the Blue and White are aspiring for more. They have steep competition within Section 8AAA in Buffalo, who ended the Warriors’ season the past two years, and three-time reigning section champs St. Michael-Albertville, who together have handed Brainerd two of their three losses this year, both in 1-0 tilts.

“We’re hungry from last year,” Patrick said. “We had three go off the crossbar in the STMA game. And yeah, they had good chances, but we shut them down most of the game, and if those three went in, we would’ve won by a lot. Same with Buffalo—we know that we can beat them this year. We brought them 1-0 and the one goal they scored was a [penalty kick].”

“Our goal is state,” DeRosier asserted. “We’ve had the goal since the beginning of the season and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Warriors will host Sauk Rapids-Rice in a Central Lakes Conference match-up on Thursday, September 18. Brainerd has won 16 straight CLC games dating back to 2023.