The Final Whistle: The Mimbas’ and Their Bittersweet Defeat in Playoffs

The Mimbas, Stuyvesant girls’ soccer team, progressed to the second round of the playoffs before their season came to an end. After ten regular season games, the team was set to play their first round playoff match against Bayside. With the whole team gathered in Riverside Park, senior co-captain Rebecca Periera took off with the ball after kickoff, weaving in and out of people, tearing down the field, and starting the game by scoring the first goal. Ultimately, the Mimbas earned a dominant 7-0 victory, advancing to face John Jay Campus in the second round of the playoffs, intent on redeeming themselves from the defeat John Jay handed them in the previous year’s playoffs. 

The team’s journey to the playoffs began with their summer practices. Since late August, the Mimbas spent countless hours completing possession drills, perfecting technique, and practicing communication. “Over preseason, we focused on technical work and conditioning by doing drills for skill and agility. As the season kicked off, our practices shifted to emphasize decision-making and combining on the ball through possession and games and scrimmaging,” senior co-captain Karina Gupta said. Working with both her co-captain Periera and first-year coach Eric Portales, Gupta was able to rally the team and curate these strong, technique-based practices. Although new to the Mimbas, Coach Eric Portales proved to be a good fit for the team, supporting and encouraging all the players. “Mr. Portales was a great coach. He consulted our captains and came up with some really great practice drills,” midfielder junior Kavya Green said. The captains’ leadership combined with the players’ dedication to showing up to Pier 40 every day after school until 5 p.m. fostered an unparalleled level of community and teamwork. 

Not only focusing on their performance on the field, the Mimbas ensured that their successes on the field were matched by strong team chemistry and coordination. “Team bonding has been one of our biggest priorities this season. One of our initiatives was going to a sleepaway camp over preseason. The community that this camp and other new traditions created has really contributed to the chemistry and sense of trust that we play with on the field,” Gupta said. By becoming committed to both each other and success, the Mimbas were able to perform strongly, aided by the vibrant energy and sideline support from injured players. While their athletic successes brought a shared sense of joy and accomplishment, the time spent on team-building activities also proved to be an impactful part of their season. “One of my favorite parts of the season was when we went to see Smile 2 as a team. We bonded through our shared terror and ‘smiling’ at each other became a running joke for the rest of our season. It was really a full circle moment because we had all watched Smile together at Camp Scatico,” said Green. 

However, team bonding didn’t score the team’s goals. The Mimbas had to work extra hard this year to compensate for losing the majority of their starters last year. “The first couple of games were rocky, but since then we’ve really improved as a team. Our back line has gotten stronger and we’ve been able to put up a fight against high-ranking teams,” Gupta said. Center backs junior Siena Short and sophomore Emma Ching truly helped embody the strong back line Gupta refers to as they unlocked the ability to efficiently work together, improve and coordinate positioning, and improve their ability to intercept crosses. These improvements led the Mimbas to massive victories including their wins against Lehman Campus, 13-0; High School for Health Professions and Human Services, 6-0; and High School for Fashion Industries, 16-0. 

With a total of ten games, Periera helped lead the team to five wins and one draw, scoring 21 goals this season, and contributing five assists. Junior Kavya Green also matched those five assists with outstanding technical skill, scoring ten goals before an ankle injury in the final regular season game against Clinton saw her sidelined for the remainder of the season. Despite such setbacks, their sense of community remained unmatched. Green continued to attend the games and support her soccer family, allowing her to witness Gupta’s eight assists this season and share in the team’s joy.

Although the team was ultimately defeated by John Jay Campus, they put up a strong fight, performing better than in the previous year’s playoff game against them. The team spirit and technical work that was cultivated this year, for both club and non-club players, lays the foundation for a strong 2025/26 season for the Mimbas. The end of a season is always bittersweet as the seniors realize they have made their last pass to a fellow Mimba, played their last game, and made the trek to Pier 40 for the final time. However, they are reminded that there is nothing like watching each other grow and succeed––something this year’s captains truly had the chance to witness and support.