Goins integral part of Trojans

Oak Ridge High's varsity girls' soccer team played in the second round of the playoffs Wednesday against Davis. The Trojans are the top-seed in the Division I bracket after an undefeated regular season 9-0-3, including an impressive 7-0-3 record in the Sierra Foothill League. With 11 players on the roster who helped the team to a Division I section title in 2020, it's no surprise the Trojans are good. Four of those players, Iman Mustafa, Olivia Chimienti, Emily Lieber and Grace Goins, are four-year varsity starters for the Trojans. Goins, a center back, is also a team captain. She is invaluable to the team's success. As a center back, she's obviously important defensively to a team that has allowed only four goals all season. Goins also helps the team transition into its offense, so there's a lot she does for the team. "Grace is very good on the ball; she carries the ball for us," Oak Ridge coach Rino Chimienti said. "She reads the game well. She builds our attack, and marks the other team's best player. She's just a solid all-around player. She can also play center midfield, which is her normal position, but she plays center back for us." Folsom Telegraph: What are your plans/hopes for after high school? Grace Goins: I will be attending San Diego State University and I am also planning on majoring in electrical engineering. FT: Would you like to play soccer in college? Any offers or interest yet? GG: I will be playing D1 soccer for San Diego State University. FT: Do sports run in your family? GG: Yes, sports run in my family, but I'm the only one of my brothers who continued their sport at the collegiate level. FT: How long have you been playing soccer and how did you get your start in it? GG: I started playing soccer when I was 3 years old. FT: Have you ever been involved in other sports? GG: I have played lacrosse, basketball, horse riding, cross country and track. FT: What do you like about soccer? GG: I love the high energy, the competitiveness, and having a team around me. FT: What are your strengths as a player? What do you feel you do best? GG: My strengths as a player are my speed, ability to create opportunities for my teammates and my ball. FT: Is there anything you specifically like about playing center back? GG: My favorite two reasons I like playing center back are stopping goal opportunities for the other team and building the all out from the back. FT: You play on a veteran team that won a section championship in 2020. What will it take to win it again and do you feel the Trojans can do it? GG: We will need to rally together as a team and put all of our effort to win another section championship. I believe our team can do it because we are all determined and want it bad enough to go for it. FT: What makes your team as good as you are? Why are Trojans a tough team to beat? GG: We are and act like a team and that is what makes us great. We are a tough team to beat because we work hard and we will fight to the end of the game. FT: Who is the funniest person on your team and how does she make you laugh? GG: The funniest person on the team is Abby Coalie. She is always making the funniest comments on the field that never fail to make me laugh. FT: What is your favorite class/subject in school? GG: My favorite subject is math. FT: Favorite music and/or artist? GG: I have a wide variety of music I listen to that include rap, chill music and classic rock. FT: Favorite book or movie? GG: My favorite movie is Shooter. FT: Favorite Food? GG: My favorite food is my dad's homemade Italian pizza. FT: Do you have any pets? Tell us about them. GG: I have three cats and they are siblings and are all wild and crazy but sweet. FT: Do you have any hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time? GG: My hobbies include working out, reading, running, riding the dirt bike, swimming, drawing, wake surfing and snowboarding. FT: What inspires you in sports? GG: Something that inspires me in sports is doing good for myself, my family, my teammates, and my coaches. I never want to let anyone down, including myself, so I am also determined to do my best. FT: Is there a particular job or profession you'd like to have someday? GG: Yes, I would love to be an electrical engineer.