Pearl-Cohn soccer finally can play home games on campus

For the Pearl-Cohn soccer team, the days of driving off campus for  home soccer games are a thing of the past.

The Firebirds now can call their school home.

Pearl-Cohn, which has played its home games at nearby Metro Center Park since starting a team in 2013, recently purchased two new soccer goals, allowing the Firebirds to play home games on the school's football field. The program plays its first home game  at 4:30 p.m. Thursday against Maplewood.

“This is a huge step forward,” third-year coach Matthew Truwit said.

It truly was a team effort, too.

The boys and girls soccer coaches worked the school's football and basketball concession stands, giving the soccer programs more of a cut of the profits.

"There were a lot of Sam’s Club runs and a lot of late nights here at Pearl working the concession stands," Truwit said. "It was a bear, but it was worth it.”

Pearl-Cohn has struggled in its first four years, winning just nine games. However, playing at the school has been a boost to the program.

“We’re pretty excited because it’s actually the first time in Pearl-Cohn history that we’re getting to play our games at home,” junior Nicholas Booker said. “We'll be playing on our home turf, and we’re just ready to enjoy the season.”

More important than having a proper home field, however, is that with the goals, the Firebirds can now hold proper practices.

“For the last three years we haven’t even been able to practice with goal frames,” said Truwit, a Virginia native and former high school soccer player. “Having (the goals) has really allowed us to grow our players more.”

Until this season the Firebirds used smaller, mini-goals during their practices on Pearl-Cohn's practice football field.

“As long as we’re out here having fun and we’re working as a team, that’s all that matters," Booker said. "We treat each other like a family out here."

Reach Michael Murphy at mfmurphy@tennessean.com, 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_T Nsports.