The main objective for nearly every high school sports coach is for their team to get better throughout a season and to show signs of growth and learning, no matter the outcomes.

This year’s Salisbury girls soccer team has been doing just that for head coach Rick Babyak. The team might have just one win heading into Monday’s season finale, but the Falcons have been playing better over the past few weeks.

“We were going up and down in the beginning of the season but about a little before midseason we just started getting better every game,” said Babyak. “It bodes well for the future. These girls are working hard and they’re keeping us moving, keeping us going and its much appreciated all the work that they’re doing. We have a lot of good kids here. I’m very proud of them.”

The Falcons were shut out in each of their first eight games. They scored their first goal of the season Sept. 23 against Lehighton then got their first win on Sept. 23 when they routed Lincoln Leadership Academy 9-1.

“That was a good game for them because they got a lot of positive offense out of that and that was awesome,” said Babyak “Even before that game they had been playing better and better every game. I know we didn’t have a lot of success on the scoreboard, but they were definitely getting better every game and that’s what you look for.”

Babyak pointed to players like senior Gianna Ciliberty, junior Gabriella Pena and sophomores Autumn Evans and Madison Reis.

Ciliberty plays center back and has been a leader in that position all season.

“Just consistently strong and vocal back there,” Babyak said. “The leadership from the back was really nice back there.”

Pena is listed on the roster as a midfielder/defender, but when senior goal keeper Alexandra Miller suffered an injury, the team needed someone to take over in goal. Pena, a talented athlete who earned a district medal in discus in spring, was up to the task.

“She’s really one of our better field players,” said Babyak. “She’s an exceptional goalie. I didn’t realize how good she was. It’s going to be hard to keep her out of the goal next year because she’s that good.”

Reis is one of the team’s more potent goal scorers, but is also one its best athletes and is asked to play several different positions depending on what is needed in a given situation.

“Offense sometimes. Defense sometimes,” said Babyak of Reis. “We had to move her all over the place and she did it. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”

Evans had nearly the same role, shifting from midfield to defense when the need arose.

The team had 14 players in uniform for last week’s game against Northern Lehigh, a 9-1 loss that dropped the Falcons to 1-14 on the season. Babyak is proud of the way the team fought through adversity this season and kept playing hard.

“Its tough in a season like this when you’re struggling,” he said. “And they’re still working hard. They battled and they continue to battle no matter what the score.”