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All Soccer - Girls Stories
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The Woodhaven girls’ soccer team will spend this season with a target on its back as they begin their quest for a fifth consecutive Downriver League championship.
“We do understand that we have a target on our backs and it will be another tough season with some quality opposition in our league,” Woodhaven Coach Bernie Turner said.
The Warriors have a large roster this season with 17 returning players. Mixed in with be three quality younger players along with another goaltender.
Despite returning so many players from last season, Turner said his team has some work ahead of them if they want to secure their fifth league championship.
“I am not happy with the pre-season preparation, meaning that we have a lot of work ahead of us,” Turner said. “First of all, we must reach the level of fitness that we are comfortable with.
“We have a lot of skilled players and we hope to get back to our competitive level and if we do that, gel as a team and regain our chemistry that we have last season, then we can be competitive in the league.”
The Warriors have a large pool of starting players to choose from and they starting line-up will change most games depending on the opponent and type of game.
Final positions have not been established yet and Turner expects it to take several games to do so.
“The girls seem energetic and thirsty to play, but we have many areas that we must conquer before we can move forward,” Turner said. “We have not established all our final positions yet, so that will take several games and I do expect some movement before we attain our rhythm.”
Leading the offense will be returning top goal leader, Allison Manning. She will be coupled with Hannah Tobiczyk and Sarena Belanger.
At midfield, the Warriors will look for Natalie Frensley, Marisa Cassel, Megan Reichel, Cassidy Murray, Allie May and Kendra Cook.
Sophomores Nicole Losek and Miranda Ratusznik and freshman Abbey Lorenz are three new additions that Turner expects to contribute up front or at mid-field.
“All three are very skilled and I hope that they can quickly adjust to the varsity level,” Turner said. “If they live up to their potential, it will give us a huge lift.”
At defense, time will be shared by Morgan Gillespey, Dana Murray, Rachel Smiecinski, Sydney Lemelin and Fallon Donovan.
Sophomores Anja Plaumann and Chelsea DeBoutte are two versatile players who will adapt to any position that requires coverage.
Keri Kilgore and Shannon Russell will be splitting time between the posts.
Cassell and Murray will be captains for the Warriors this season.
Southgate
After finishing the season 15-8 last year, the Titans will look to stay atop the Downriver League again this season.
While the roster is not yet finalized, Anderson will return several members of last year’s squad.
Sophomore Laekyn Jaciuk returns to the Titan offense and is expected to contribute immensely to the goal scoring.
As a freshman, Jaciuk finished the season with 27 goals and 17 assists.
“Getting Laekyn back is huge for us,” Anderson Coach Larry Lankford said.
Andrea Thornsberry returns to the offensive line where she contributed 11 goals and 12 assists as a sophomore last season.
“She was very steady for us,” Lankford said.
Senior Bailey Fast also returns to the team in the middle and despite playing more defense than offense, contributed 10 goals and 17 assists last year.
Cynthia Konan and Kayla Smith will return to the middle back on defense which Lankford says will help the team and Jenn Ibarra at outside mid and Haillie Kingstad will also be returning to the lineup.
The Titans were a young team last season with six young players pulled up early in the season.
At the end of the year, the team graduated seven seniors but this year will only have three.
Lankford and his team finished the season tied for third last year and he expects it to be much of the same this season.
The top four teams were separated by two points or less last season.
Lankford says anything can happen in the league on any given day, making the league competitive and fun.
Last season the Titans split with Woodhaven, shocking the Warriors with a 7-2 victory on their field and losing 6-3 on their home turf.
The Warriors are a rival to the Titans and having won the league four straight years adds to it, but Lankford does not believe in looking for revenge.
“It’s just gonna be a matter of who plays the best on that given night,” he said. “I think all the teams are that close.
“I’m looking forward to the season. I think it’s gonna be very competitive again (and) I think the league is getting better with competitiveness.”
Last season the Titans competed in two tournaments and brought home their first ever trophies after winning the Monroe Tournament and the Temperance Bedford tournament, and will compete in both again this season.
“We’ve been invited back and we’re gonna go and have some fun and see what happens,” Lankford said.
One spot that is not yet finalized for the Titans is who will be spending time in net.
Both former goalies graduated last season and four girls are currently battling for the spot.
Last year the Titans had nine shut outs and a lot of offense but the focus will be more on defense this season.
“We’re gonna have to focus a little bit more on defense and midfield,” Lankford said.
Overall Lankford is excited for his team and eager for the season to begin.
“It’s gonna be a fun season and I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “We’re gonna have some talent (and) I just have to wait and see how we’re gonna gel together.
“It’s going to be fun to see how it plays out.”
The Titans begin season play at home on Monday and stay at home Wednesday.
Carlson
The Carlson Marauders finished fourth in the competitive Downriver League last season and hope to improve off of that this year.
Coach Steve Briggs is in his second year with the team and is looking forward to another challenging season with the girls.
“There are some very tough teams within the DRL, so we have much work ahead of us,” Briggs said.
But the Marauders plan to be ready. The team has been conditioning since returning from Christmas break and hope to start out the season strong when games start next week.
There is much returning varsity talent from last season, in the form of senior captains Nicole Wolski (midfield), Kelly Bencher (midfield) and Brooke Hunter (defense).
“My goal this year is to keep them focused and working together, one day at a time,” Briggs said.
Trenton
The Trenton girls’ soccer team finished last season in the top four of the competitive Downriver League and hope to compete again this year.
The Trojans return 13 varsity players, including seven starters.
Senior goal keeper Laura Basco, a three year starter, will be returning between the posts.
Senior center back Megan Benoist and senior midfielder Natalie Righetti will also be returning to the starting lineup.
Benoist is a two-time all-state, three-time all-regional, three-time all-league and three-time all-district player while Righetti is a three-time all-state, three-time all-regional, three-time all league and three-time all-district player.
Senior forward Ashley Slagle, junior Caroline Hatty (holding midfield), and sophomores Alexia Moody (center back) and Kayla Czarnik (marking back) will round out the returning starters.
Adding to the depth will be a great group of sophomores from last season and a strong freshmen class of seven players.
“The freshman class is very strong,” Coach Michael Hatfield said. “There will be seven freshmen who will get many changes to play on varsity games.”
Hatfield is in his second season with the Trojans and says it will be very tough to match the great final four run from last season. The team eventually fell to Division 2 state champs Bloomfield Fields Marion.
“On that note, my goal is to improve our overall game play, tactical awareness, (and) raise the individual expectations of each player and our depth off the bench,” Hatfield said. “If those four things get better, then we could maybe match or do better than we did last year.”
Overall, Hatfield is looking forward to the season and proud of his team’s work in the off-season.
“These girls worked very hard in the off-season, becoming better soccer players and reached a whole new fitness level,” he said.
The Trojans open play tonight against Ypsilanti Lincoln.
Allen Park
The Allen Park Jaguars have a unique blend of talent and experience on the roster this year and Coach Patrick Danz believes it will help make his team competitive in the Downriver League.
Casey Bowdell and Sarah Templin will play key roles in the Jags’ offensive strategy this season and returning midfielders Natasha Sanchez, Rachel Caswell and Lisa Marsh will add to the depth as well.
“(Sanchez, Caswell and Marsh) have tremendous knowledge of the game, and I look forward to watching that unit do some special things,” Danz said.
Danz also expects his team to be quite strong defensively with senior Monica Fraser between the posts.
Senior Jordan Goble and junior Katlyn Armstrong will also play key roles in the success of the team, and Annie Hayes and Abby Gennaro are expected to contribute significantly as well.
Newcomers Emily Eccleton, Joslyn Miller, Ellis Lewis, Allison Cayo and Sarah Klein are expected to have an immediate impact at the varsity level and Danz says he is excited to see the group progress.
The Jags begin season play next week.
Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park Coach Sandra Martinez says her Railsplitters have an exciting season ahead of them.
This season, the Rails are filled with experienced and dedicated players who love the game of soccer according to Martinez.
Seniors Dalianth Llanos-Gomez and Laura Orozco will be retuning, along with Jackie Godinez, Leigh Branny and Nayelli Mota, just to name a few.
The Rails also return Olivia McKinney, who is a fierce keeper to add to their defense.
Last season, the team made it to the second round of districts and this year plan to defeat the teams they believe they should and play strong against teams who put up a good challenge.
“Our team this year is formed with a lot of experienced and dedicated players who love the game of soccer,” Martinez said. “We have new strategies as well as new positioning for our players.
“My assistant Coach Marge Scripter and I are eager to kick off the season and take this year’s team to another level.”
The Rails begin season play today with a non-league game against Monroe.
Truman
Although the Cougars are still a young team, Coach Franco Antonnicola says his players are much improved compared to last season and his is looking forward to the new season.
Returning from last season is all-leaguer Emily Theison and seniors Allison Wyman, McKenzie Hoffman, Chrissy Wilburn and Raquel Sobecki.
Newcomers this year include three freshmen; sisters Chelsea and Whitney Cole and Clare Ciarlino.
“All three are nice players who should contribute this year,” Antonnicola said. “Although we are a young team, I think that the experience from last year will help this year.”
Antonnicola says he is also looking forward to a break out year from captain forward Savannah Noakowsi. Novakowsi had a strong season last year and made the All News-Herald team.
Melvindale
This season the Melvindale girls’ soccer team will be composed of three sophomores, three juniors and 10 seniors.
Coach James Bradley is in his second year with the Cardinals and is excited for the season to begin.
Key returning players to watch include senior forward Sarai Perez with her good shot and even better speed.
She will be accompanied by second year captain Joanna Velasquez.
Defensive anchor Jennifer Gavia also returns to the team and will be helped out by the talented junior varsity members that have been brought up, giving Bradley high hopes for the defense.
In the midfield, junior Cristal Rivas is expected to contribute to the team effort.
“(Rivas) did well for us last year and is looking to control the ball with good footwork, new moves and good passing,” Bradley said.
She will be supported by senior midfielders Heather Parkham and Viviana Galvan who are already looking good this year.
Unfortunately, the team’s starting goaltender was unable to return this season but senior Mariah Iszak graciously stepped up to fill the shoes, having never played the position before and Bradley is pleased with the way she is looking.
The Cards are coming off of a rough, winless season last year but are ready to move on and get this season started.
“That’s behind us now and we’re looking forward to some wins with a senior heavy team and good underclassmen,” Bradley said. “The girls are excited to get started and I’m happy to be the coach of this group of girls.”
Kennedy
The Kennedy soccer team returns quite a few players this season and looks to improve their record this year.
"We didn't do as well as I was hoping last year, but with more work I expect it to be different, especially with the girls I have this year," Coach Jordan Kilduff said.
Returning players include seniors Moriah Mooney, Breelyn Banks, Elaine Czarnik and Allie Duffin.
Kilduff said she is hoping the seniors use their experience to help lead the team this season and says she is expecting a more fit and ready team when the season starts next week.
GIRLS' SOCCER: Downriver League preview (PHOTO)
A 27-goal scorer last season, Laekyn Jaciuk returns to help power the Anderson offense.
“We do understand that we have a target on our backs and it will be another tough season with some quality opposition in our league,” Woodhaven Coach Bernie Turner said.
The Warriors have a large roster this season with 17 returning players. Mixed in with be three quality younger players along with another goaltender.
Despite returning so many players from last season, Turner said his team has some work ahead of them if they want to secure their fifth league championship.
“I am not happy with the pre-season preparation, meaning that we have a lot of work ahead of us,” Turner said. “First of all, we must reach the level of fitness that we are comfortable with.
“We have a lot of skilled players and we hope to get back to our competitive level and if we do that, gel as a team and regain our chemistry that we have last season, then we can be competitive in the league.”
The Warriors have a large pool of starting players to choose from and they starting line-up will change most games depending on the opponent and type of game.
Final positions have not been established yet and Turner expects it to take several games to do so.
“The girls seem energetic and thirsty to play, but we have many areas that we must conquer before we can move forward,” Turner said. “We have not established all our final positions yet, so that will take several games and I do expect some movement before we attain our rhythm.”
Leading the offense will be returning top goal leader, Allison Manning. She will be coupled with Hannah Tobiczyk and Sarena Belanger.
At midfield, the Warriors will look for Natalie Frensley, Marisa Cassel, Megan Reichel, Cassidy Murray, Allie May and Kendra Cook.
Sophomores Nicole Losek and Miranda Ratusznik and freshman Abbey Lorenz are three new additions that Turner expects to contribute up front or at mid-field.
“All three are very skilled and I hope that they can quickly adjust to the varsity level,” Turner said. “If they live up to their potential, it will give us a huge lift.”
At defense, time will be shared by Morgan Gillespey, Dana Murray, Rachel Smiecinski, Sydney Lemelin and Fallon Donovan.
Sophomores Anja Plaumann and Chelsea DeBoutte are two versatile players who will adapt to any position that requires coverage.
Keri Kilgore and Shannon Russell will be splitting time between the posts.
Cassell and Murray will be captains for the Warriors this season.
Southgate
After finishing the season 15-8 last year, the Titans will look to stay atop the Downriver League again this season.
While the roster is not yet finalized, Anderson will return several members of last year’s squad.
Sophomore Laekyn Jaciuk returns to the Titan offense and is expected to contribute immensely to the goal scoring.
As a freshman, Jaciuk finished the season with 27 goals and 17 assists.
“Getting Laekyn back is huge for us,” Anderson Coach Larry Lankford said.
Andrea Thornsberry returns to the offensive line where she contributed 11 goals and 12 assists as a sophomore last season.
“She was very steady for us,” Lankford said.
Senior Bailey Fast also returns to the team in the middle and despite playing more defense than offense, contributed 10 goals and 17 assists last year.
Cynthia Konan and Kayla Smith will return to the middle back on defense which Lankford says will help the team and Jenn Ibarra at outside mid and Haillie Kingstad will also be returning to the lineup.
The Titans were a young team last season with six young players pulled up early in the season.
At the end of the year, the team graduated seven seniors but this year will only have three.
Lankford and his team finished the season tied for third last year and he expects it to be much of the same this season.
The top four teams were separated by two points or less last season.
Lankford says anything can happen in the league on any given day, making the league competitive and fun.
Last season the Titans split with Woodhaven, shocking the Warriors with a 7-2 victory on their field and losing 6-3 on their home turf.
The Warriors are a rival to the Titans and having won the league four straight years adds to it, but Lankford does not believe in looking for revenge.
“It’s just gonna be a matter of who plays the best on that given night,” he said. “I think all the teams are that close.
“I’m looking forward to the season. I think it’s gonna be very competitive again (and) I think the league is getting better with competitiveness.”
Last season the Titans competed in two tournaments and brought home their first ever trophies after winning the Monroe Tournament and the Temperance Bedford tournament, and will compete in both again this season.
“We’ve been invited back and we’re gonna go and have some fun and see what happens,” Lankford said.
One spot that is not yet finalized for the Titans is who will be spending time in net.
Both former goalies graduated last season and four girls are currently battling for the spot.
Last year the Titans had nine shut outs and a lot of offense but the focus will be more on defense this season.
“We’re gonna have to focus a little bit more on defense and midfield,” Lankford said.
Overall Lankford is excited for his team and eager for the season to begin.
“It’s gonna be a fun season and I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “We’re gonna have some talent (and) I just have to wait and see how we’re gonna gel together.
“It’s going to be fun to see how it plays out.”
The Titans begin season play at home on Monday and stay at home Wednesday.
Carlson
The Carlson Marauders finished fourth in the competitive Downriver League last season and hope to improve off of that this year.
Coach Steve Briggs is in his second year with the team and is looking forward to another challenging season with the girls.
“There are some very tough teams within the DRL, so we have much work ahead of us,” Briggs said.
But the Marauders plan to be ready. The team has been conditioning since returning from Christmas break and hope to start out the season strong when games start next week.
There is much returning varsity talent from last season, in the form of senior captains Nicole Wolski (midfield), Kelly Bencher (midfield) and Brooke Hunter (defense).
“My goal this year is to keep them focused and working together, one day at a time,” Briggs said.
Trenton
The Trenton girls’ soccer team finished last season in the top four of the competitive Downriver League and hope to compete again this year.
The Trojans return 13 varsity players, including seven starters.
Senior goal keeper Laura Basco, a three year starter, will be returning between the posts.
Senior center back Megan Benoist and senior midfielder Natalie Righetti will also be returning to the starting lineup.
Benoist is a two-time all-state, three-time all-regional, three-time all-league and three-time all-district player while Righetti is a three-time all-state, three-time all-regional, three-time all league and three-time all-district player.
Senior forward Ashley Slagle, junior Caroline Hatty (holding midfield), and sophomores Alexia Moody (center back) and Kayla Czarnik (marking back) will round out the returning starters.
Adding to the depth will be a great group of sophomores from last season and a strong freshmen class of seven players.
“The freshman class is very strong,” Coach Michael Hatfield said. “There will be seven freshmen who will get many changes to play on varsity games.”
Hatfield is in his second season with the Trojans and says it will be very tough to match the great final four run from last season. The team eventually fell to Division 2 state champs Bloomfield Fields Marion.
“On that note, my goal is to improve our overall game play, tactical awareness, (and) raise the individual expectations of each player and our depth off the bench,” Hatfield said. “If those four things get better, then we could maybe match or do better than we did last year.”
Overall, Hatfield is looking forward to the season and proud of his team’s work in the off-season.
“These girls worked very hard in the off-season, becoming better soccer players and reached a whole new fitness level,” he said.
The Trojans open play tonight against Ypsilanti Lincoln.
Allen Park
The Allen Park Jaguars have a unique blend of talent and experience on the roster this year and Coach Patrick Danz believes it will help make his team competitive in the Downriver League.
Casey Bowdell and Sarah Templin will play key roles in the Jags’ offensive strategy this season and returning midfielders Natasha Sanchez, Rachel Caswell and Lisa Marsh will add to the depth as well.
“(Sanchez, Caswell and Marsh) have tremendous knowledge of the game, and I look forward to watching that unit do some special things,” Danz said.
Danz also expects his team to be quite strong defensively with senior Monica Fraser between the posts.
Senior Jordan Goble and junior Katlyn Armstrong will also play key roles in the success of the team, and Annie Hayes and Abby Gennaro are expected to contribute significantly as well.
Newcomers Emily Eccleton, Joslyn Miller, Ellis Lewis, Allison Cayo and Sarah Klein are expected to have an immediate impact at the varsity level and Danz says he is excited to see the group progress.
The Jags begin season play next week.
Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park Coach Sandra Martinez says her Railsplitters have an exciting season ahead of them.
This season, the Rails are filled with experienced and dedicated players who love the game of soccer according to Martinez.
Seniors Dalianth Llanos-Gomez and Laura Orozco will be retuning, along with Jackie Godinez, Leigh Branny and Nayelli Mota, just to name a few.
The Rails also return Olivia McKinney, who is a fierce keeper to add to their defense.
Last season, the team made it to the second round of districts and this year plan to defeat the teams they believe they should and play strong against teams who put up a good challenge.
“Our team this year is formed with a lot of experienced and dedicated players who love the game of soccer,” Martinez said. “We have new strategies as well as new positioning for our players.
“My assistant Coach Marge Scripter and I are eager to kick off the season and take this year’s team to another level.”
The Rails begin season play today with a non-league game against Monroe.
Truman
Although the Cougars are still a young team, Coach Franco Antonnicola says his players are much improved compared to last season and his is looking forward to the new season.
Returning from last season is all-leaguer Emily Theison and seniors Allison Wyman, McKenzie Hoffman, Chrissy Wilburn and Raquel Sobecki.
Newcomers this year include three freshmen; sisters Chelsea and Whitney Cole and Clare Ciarlino.
“All three are nice players who should contribute this year,” Antonnicola said. “Although we are a young team, I think that the experience from last year will help this year.”
Antonnicola says he is also looking forward to a break out year from captain forward Savannah Noakowsi. Novakowsi had a strong season last year and made the All News-Herald team.
Melvindale
This season the Melvindale girls’ soccer team will be composed of three sophomores, three juniors and 10 seniors.
Coach James Bradley is in his second year with the Cardinals and is excited for the season to begin.
Key returning players to watch include senior forward Sarai Perez with her good shot and even better speed.
She will be accompanied by second year captain Joanna Velasquez.
Defensive anchor Jennifer Gavia also returns to the team and will be helped out by the talented junior varsity members that have been brought up, giving Bradley high hopes for the defense.
In the midfield, junior Cristal Rivas is expected to contribute to the team effort.
“(Rivas) did well for us last year and is looking to control the ball with good footwork, new moves and good passing,” Bradley said.
She will be supported by senior midfielders Heather Parkham and Viviana Galvan who are already looking good this year.
Unfortunately, the team’s starting goaltender was unable to return this season but senior Mariah Iszak graciously stepped up to fill the shoes, having never played the position before and Bradley is pleased with the way she is looking.
The Cards are coming off of a rough, winless season last year but are ready to move on and get this season started.
“That’s behind us now and we’re looking forward to some wins with a senior heavy team and good underclassmen,” Bradley said. “The girls are excited to get started and I’m happy to be the coach of this group of girls.”
Kennedy
The Kennedy soccer team returns quite a few players this season and looks to improve their record this year.
"We didn't do as well as I was hoping last year, but with more work I expect it to be different, especially with the girls I have this year," Coach Jordan Kilduff said.
Returning players include seniors Moriah Mooney, Breelyn Banks, Elaine Czarnik and Allie Duffin.
Kilduff said she is hoping the seniors use their experience to help lead the team this season and says she is expecting a more fit and ready team when the season starts next week.
Last Updated: 3/19/2013 12:08:15 PM EST