The Benilde-St. Margaret’s football and soccer teams have battled both tough opponents and weather this fall season. With a surge of rainy nights and snow on the ground by Halloween, Minnesota weather hasn’t been kind within the past few months. Despite rain delays and freezing cold temperatures, these Red Knight teams haven’t slowed down as they push into the section and state playoffs.
Both teams have experienced rainy weather throughout October, causing the soccer team to cancel multiple practices and the football team experienced a lightning game delay. Senior captain Kiya Gilliand and the rest of the girls’ soccer team haven’t been happy with the weather, as it hinders their warmups and time to improve. “It negatively affects the team because we aren’t able to go out and get touches on the ball [in warmups]. Instead, we have to watch film and we aren’t able to run through plays and stuff because we’re not on the field,” Gilliand said.
It negatively affects the team because we aren’t able to go out and get touches on the ball [in warmups]. Instead, we have to watch film and we aren’t able to run through plays and stuff because we’re not on the field.”
— Kiya Gilliand
On October 13th, the football team experienced a lightning delay right before the scheduled 7 o’clock kickoff vs. Delano. Both teams took shelter in the locker rooms as they waited 30 minutes in anticipation of restarting. Senior quarterback Nirvaan Yogarajah and the team passed the time by listening to music and discussing game plans. “I think we lost a little bit of focus. But you know, we worked on trying to keep it together. Had a little dance party in the locker room then went out. We also danced after the game,” Yogarajah said.
The recent rain and cold have brought injuries, slippery turf, and a decline in fans at the games. Luckily, the girls’ soccer team won’t have to deal with any more bad weather as they advance through the state tournament and play in U.S. Bank Stadium. During the sections playoffs, players bundled up in long-sleeved compressions and extra layers to stay warm. “We wear Under Armour and stuff, we also get parkas from the swim team, and that helps keep us warm and dry,” Gilliand said.
While playing in poor conditions might not be fun, both teams recognize that it’s important to push through and dominate games regardless of the circumstances. On homecoming, the Red Knight football team battled SMB (St. Paul Academy/Minnehaha Academy/Blake) on a very hot gameday with temperatures in the high 90s. The game prematurely ended in a BSM win as it was called off due to the extreme heat. “Everybody else is playing in the same weather so there’s gonna be a little hindrance in performance from everybody around the board,” Yogarajah said.