WALDRON GRAIN & FUEL

10/19 20:14 CDT Looking to the playoffs, Gotham FC has a not-so-secret weapon -- a lot of rookies Looking to the playoffs, Gotham FC has a not-so-secret weapon -- a lot of rookies By ALYCE BROWN AP Sports Writer HARRISON, N.J. (AP) --- Gotham FC punched their ticket to the playoffs Sunday with a 2-2 draw with Racing Louisville -- and for a flurry of new faces on the pitch, it will be their very first. The club has the largest rookie contingent of any team in the league this season, made up of nine newcomers -- Sarah Schupansky, Lilly Reale, Khyah Harper, Ryan Campbell, Sofia Cook, Emerson Elgin, Tyler McCamey, Josefine Hasbo, and Kayla Duran. (The number hits 10 if Mak Whitham, the 15-year-old on an under-18 contract, is counted). They've been making their mark on the club, on and off the field. "They've really been the heartbeat of the team," said Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amors. "(They're) bringing energy, commitment and a willingness to learn from the senior players while also being ready to perform when called upon. Every single one of them has started or played games, and they've been really important in getting the team to where we are today." That high number is quite the change from the past couple years, when Gotham only had one rookie per season in both 2024 and 2023. And this year's deep contingent has definitely been making their mark --- Schupansky leads the team in assists and Reale, Harper and Schupansky make up three of the team's top 10 scorers. "I just think about the amount of experience we have on this roster and how often these experienced players are offering advice and help and support to us younger players who might not have been in these high stakes scenarios," said Schupansky, referencing the support from the vets as the playoffs near. "We have them to lean on and to kind of replicate how they're preparing for these games, we can kind of take some things from their regimens and implement them into ours." Different connections have grown between the young rookies and their experienced teammates -- Amors said defender Emily Sonnett has worked closely with Campbell and Reale, while forward Esther Gonzalez has really connected with Schupansky. And the vets, for their part, have been thoroughly impressed with the large set of newcomers. "On and off the field, they're true teammates," said midfielder Jaelin Howell, who scored in Sunday's draw. "What I've told them all year is that it's a season of ups and downs. ... We just have to keep uplifting them and showing them that even though it's a long season, we've got to lean on each other." The group will now take on their first postseason together, waiting to officially find out their playoff seed. In the words of Schupansky, "I think that there's only more to come." ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer