Many athletic teams excel at this school, yet among those teams this year’s women’s soccer team still stands out. Boasting a 12-0-1 record so far and doubling its opponent’s score almost every game makes Carmel a dangerous spot on every team’s schedule. But what is the secret that holds this year’s team together? According to several of the players , it’s one element: team chemistry.

It’s an elusive element that has taken years to develop. Many of which happened before the girls even joined the high school team.

Juniors Christine Gordon, Megan Kaser, and Molly Pittman fostered this attribute through many years of travel and school soccer together.

Since age 7, the three girls played on the same soccer team.

Pittman said, “We played (on the) Renegades (team) when we were 7 and (the) travel (team) when it started for Carmel.”

After the Renegades era, the three played for Carmel United Soccer Club (CUSC), the club team they still play on when the high school varsity team isn’t in season.

Ralph Richards, CUSC head coach and girls’ director of coaching for CUSC, was and still is the three girls’ head coach and teacher on the field.

Richards said, “I’ve known these girls since they were 12. I’ve seen a big change in maturity into young female adults.”

According to Pittman, a player’s attitude toward its coach is important to keep the team rallied and the chemistry at the highest level.

Pittman said, “(Richards) has coached us for four years. Ralph knows when to have fun, but also when to push us.”

That combination of fun and pressure can be helpful. As the girls continue to succeed in travel and school soccer, they said they have begun to see adversity and pressure being a part of one of the most prestigious soccer programs in the state and in the nation.

Gordon said, “We play the same every game. Every team that plays Carmel plays their best because the want to beat Carmel.”

To alleviate that pressure, the girls have developed ways to cope over the years. The players can quote memories of times growing up and being together for soccer tournaments and each of them list a different memory of their childhood.

Kaser said, “When we won Regionals we poured our water bottles on our coach.”

Gordon said, “We went to Disney World together when we were in Florida and went horseback riding.”

Pittman said, “We had a tournament on Halloween and Christine and I dressed up in masks at a restaurant.”

Even the coach has memories of years past coaching and conversing with the girls.

Richards said, “We won the Unites States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) Regional Championship, which is one of the greatest achievements as a group.”

The girls have also learned to handle big game pressure over time.

Growing up on the CUSC team, the players often competed with top-notch competition.

Kaser said, “We won most of our tournaments including Regionals, which was the highest we could have gone at that age, and Indoor Nationals two or three years.”

According to Richards, the girls continue their team atmosphere off the field being great friends.

Pittman said, “We have so much in common and we always see each other.”

Richards and his players aren’t the only ones who notice the chemistry on the soccer field.

Richards said, “I get to talk to college coaches and they notice the chemistry and how they relate to one another.”

The way the players communicate to each other during a game shows its dedication to winning and high levels of performance.

“Each of them have their own positions and understand each others’ strengths and weaknesses. They complement each others’ strengths by covering up each others’ weaknesses,” Richards said.

But at the core, according to Pittman, the pure joy of playing together is what drives them to succeed each game.

Pittman said, “It’s nice to have grown up with these girls. I know them so well and it makes soccer more fun for me.”