Sporting their watermelon pink jerseys, the CESJDS girls varsity soccer team shut out the Washington Waldorf School with a score of 6-0 on Thursday Oct. 22.

Dressed in a pink polo shirt with a breast cancer ribbon embroidered on the front pocket, girls varsity soccer coach Jay Matula blended right in. Matula has always wanted to promote breast cancer awareness during the month of October, and decided to do so this season.

The team donned their pink jerseys at their first game in October. The jerseys were not provided by the school, and instead were purchased by the players. The jerseys are customized with each players’ name and number on the back of each jersey.

To Matula, the jerseys represent more than just a good cause. His mother passed away in August after a long battle with cancer, and the jerseys represent the strength and perseverance that she displayed while she was sick.

“She was always fighting,” Matula said. “She had her bad days, but she never let it show,”

Sophomore Rana Somekhian, who plays striker on the team, also feels a personal connection to the jerseys. Somekhian’s dad was diagnosed with blood cancer when she was seven years old.

“It really impacted our family a lot,” Somekhian said. “Of course, I was young at the time, so I didn’t quite understand what was going on. I just understood ‘Oh, Dad’s sick, we’ve got to take care of him.’ Now that I am older, I understand the impact that any type of cancer can have on any family.”

Somekhian said that she is proud to wear her pink jersey, as it supports a cause that she cares deeply about.

Matula noted that while pink is traditionally associated with breast cancer, he identifies it as representing strength through any sort of difficult adversity.

According to Matula, the jerseys will be worn by the team in October during seasons to come.