BLACKSBURG (WSLS 10 SPORTS) - With back to back state titles the Blacksburg girls soccer team has taken their place alongside the boy's team as a dominant state soccer powerhouse. The ultimate goal this year is to defend their crown.
"First time I've been in this type of situation before so I think it's still weighing on the girls a little bit, but at the same time it's fun to be able to defend that and protect it with pride," explained coach Travis Eschenmann.
The hunt for the trifecta is extra important for the senior class and there's no question how bad they want another one for the trophy case.
"So bad, but I mean really try to think of it as a game by game basis, to get better every single game, but obviously there's a third state championship on our mind," said senior Ali Palmer.
Sophomore Meghan Shelton, who leads the team in scoring, knows the pride of wearing a Blacksburg jersey also comes with responsibility to uphold the Bruin reputation.
"Sometimes it's pressure and it's like everyone expects us to win the state championship, but I think we have like so much potential on the team and we just come out and play every single game as hard as we can," said Shelton.
Regardless if they get a three-peat this year, the Bruins hope to stay at the top and continue to build their program.
Eschenmann added, "I'd like to really for them to have just a lot of pride and fun out of the season and if we can win a few games along the way, that's great too."