A steady rainfall could not dampen the GPS soccer team's celebration of senior night in a 3-1 home victory over East Hamilton on Wednesday.
The Bruisers fired 37 shots in the match, and Ashley Grant - one of 10 seniors on the roster - put one into the upper right corner of the net for a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.
Sydney Morris and Grant's all-out hustle helped build a 2-0 lead in the second half, and Sasha Carbone had the other goal for GPS.
The GPS seniors - all of them were in the starting 11 against the Lady Hurricanes - are the winningest class in program history, with a record of 52-10-5. Many of the current standouts were key players on the 2018 team that won the Division II-AA state championship and lost just one match. The Bruisers also made it to the state semifinals in 2017 and last year.
"The girls are being led by the work ethic of the senior class," GPS coach Patrick Winecoff said. "They focus on what is happening day by day and never look down the road. They work really hard and in doing so have made good things happen.
"I believe they are happy to be considered one of the better GPS teams we have. They are always proud to represent the school and most importantly each other. They celebrate one another's success and they spur each other to play and train as hard as we can."
The Bruisers are ranked first in the state by MaxPreps.com and fourth in the nation. GPS is now 8-0 and has a 31-3 scoring advantage against tough competition, including a 3-1 win over Bearden, which has a No. 3 state ranking.
East Hamilton's Darci Zeh made 15 saves and center back Khylia Lamb also played well on defense Wednesday.
"East Hamilton had a great game plan and came here and gave us a challenge," Winecoff said. "They are very well coached, and we are glad they would play us, because a lot of teams around the area won't. Our girls had a lot of fun tonight and are enjoying this season.
"They are taking it moment by moment and making the most of every opportunity they are given. I am really proud to be their coach."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.