Girls Soccer Preview: Local Teams Still Eye District Title

Posted: March 20, 2014
By KEVIN TRUDGEON

WINCHESTER — There may not be a district tournament to look forward to any longer, but don’t think for a second that’s going to change how the Northwestern District girls’ soccer teams view their area rivals this season.

“With the new format we know we’re going to face some tough teams when we get to the conference tournament, but we’re not going to take the district lightly,” said Millbrook coach Matt Cottino. “The focus is still on the district because the girls all know each other and know nothing is going to be handed to them. There’s going to be some tough games.”

The Pioneers’ JV coach the last two years, Cottino, who was an all-district soccer player before graduating from Millbrook in 2006, will be stepping right into the thick of things as he takes over a program that has won the district regular season and tournament championships each of the past two seasons.

Gone are seven seniors from last year’s team that lost just four games, including district-leading scorer Brooke Borlie, but Cottino should have plenty of talent to work with.

All-district first team and All-Region II second team defender Alysse Hamm returns, along with goalkeeper Caitlin Schrader, second team all-district, and forward Casey Ackerman, who scored 12 goals as a sophomore last season.

But one of the biggest returners for the Pioneers could be senior Holly Elko, whose season was cut short by an ACL injury last year but who Cottino is expecting big things from.

“I know Holly is coming off an injury, but I think she can be like our Brooke Borlie this year, someone we can go to and who can be a dominating force,” Cottino said. “We’re going to have some girls in different positions this year, but I definitely want to stick to what we’ve been doing the past two years because we’ve been successful.”

Sherando coacb Rob Kilmer knows all about the recent success the Pioneers have had, and he’s hoping his Warriors can turn the tables this season.

Kilmer said Millbrook may have the most talent from top to bottom, but he feels like anybody can win the district this season.

Sherando certainly is a candidate considering it brings back the Northwestern District Player of the Year in senior Mandy Fogarty, as well as all-district first team selections Audra Sites and Tori Dean, who shared the team lead with 12 goals each as sophomores

After fielding the youngest team in his 15-year career last season — the Warriors had only two seniors in 2013 — Kilmer has a more experienced roster this time around.

“We were such a young team last year but still managed to make it to region,” Kilmer said. “We’re hoping to build on that success, but we also realize our hands are going to be full with being in probably the toughest conference in the state.”

This year marks the first in the Virginia High School League’s new six-classification system, and postseason competition will begin with conference tournaments. The top two teams in each conference will move on to their respective region tournaments, and the top two teams in each region will move on to the state final four.

Millbrook, Sherando and James Wood will be grouped in Conference 21 of the Group 4A North Region, along with two-time defending state champion Woodgrove, Dulles District powers Loudoun County and Dominion, and Heritage and Park View.

“The conference format doesn’t really concern me because I’d rather play good teams all the time,” said James Wood coach Jim Carden. “That will only make all of our teams better.”

The Colonels should be much improved after losing just one key senior, although she was a big one in all-district sweeper Emma Watts.

Sophomore stud Emily Denton (19 goals and 11 assists as a freshman) is back and so is junior Alex Stanford (12 goals and 17 assists) for a team that started six freshmen last season.

“When you look at it, we lost so many games in the last minute or so by a single goal last year,” Carden said. “So I think the experience and confidence we got from last year should help.”

Handley will be in Conference 23 of the 4A North with Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa County, Amherst County and Harrisonburg, but John Lynch said his club still wants to do well in the district.

“We want to beat our local rivals so we can get a solid enough record to hopefully get the top seed in the Conference 23 Tournament,” Lynch said. “And the girls always want to beat each other for bragging rights and this year won’t be any different.”

Lynch graduated seven seniors from last year’s team, including leading scorer Holly Ogilve. But three-year starter and all-district goalkeeper Ellie Volinsky is back, along with sophomore Katie Nerangis (4 goals), and the Judges hope to put a few more shots in the back of the net this season.

“I think we’re definitely more of an offensive-minded team this year,” Lynch said. “We’ve always had a solid defense, but the last few years we’ve slacked on the offensive end a bit. But I think this year we’re going to see a lot more kids being goal hungry and in attack mode.”

Clarke County will be in Conference 35 of the Group 2A East Region with Madison County, George Mason, Strasburg, Stonewall Jackson, Rappahannock and Page County.

The Eagles will look quite different this year with the graduation of 15 seniors, including all-time leading scorer Aubrey Fletcher (area-best 42 goals) who is now playing for Appalachian State, and the loss of foreign exchange student Kati Kotka (13 goals).

“It’s definitely going to be a rebuilding year, we’re trying to put a new system in and piece it all together,” said Clarke coach Larry Hart, who takes over for Terry Ellis this year. “I think we have the top keeper in the area and we’re going to focus on building from the back and keeping people from scoring.”

Junior Jessie Ambrosio (area-best 12 shutouts last year) will be back between the pipes and is joined by fellow returning starters Taylor Marshall (21 goals and 12 assists) and Emily Deem.

SVCA lost a boatload of talent in Jessica Crowley (VACA Player of the Year), Kayla Freemire (first team all-state), Maddie Deason (first team all-state), Hayley North (second team all-state) and Sarah McGann (second team all-region), but Dustin Wheelock feels his team should be formidable once again.

“I don’t know if you can really replace who we lost, but there’s a lot of good skill returning and a lot of talent that’s come in this year,” Wheelock said.

Sophomore Abby Beaty is expected to step into the role vacated by Freemire at center defensive mid and the return of starters Hannah McGann (30 goals and 11 assists), Megan Norton (21 goals and 27 assists) and Grace Snyder (10 goals) should have the Patriots in the hunt to avenge last year’s loss in the VACA state finals.

The following is a glance at each area team:

Sherando

Coach: Rob Kilmer, 15th year

Last year: 9-8-1 (4-3-1 Northwestern District); lost to Tuscarora in Region II first round

Key losses: Rose Carey, Maribeth Stotler-Watkins, Lauren Reed.

Top returning players: Katelyn Tuck, Sr. M; Mandy Fogarty, Sr. F; Alex Snapp, So. M; Erin Magalis, Jr. D; Tori Dean, Jr. F; Madison Leckie, So. M; Kelsey Singhas, So. D; Audra Sites, Jr. M; Annabelle Racey, So. M; Brianna Rossi, Sr. D; Ryan McKenna Jr. M.

Key newcomers: Megan Triplett, Fr. M; Angela Pangburn, Sr. M; Dreaya Somerville, So. D; Amanda Hott, Fr. GK; Olivia Elliott So. F; Taylor Fogarty, Fr. M; Akira Irving, Jr. GK.

Kilmer’s outlook: “Our starting goalie will be Akira Irving, who was actually a basketball player we converted, and then we have the three big returners with Mandy, Tori and Audra. And Erin Magalis is back playing sweeper for us, so I think this team is pretty solid across the board and pretty balanced. Even our bench is going to be solid.”

Opener: Saturday vs. Broadway, 1

Millbrook

Coach: Matt Cottino, 1st year

Last year: 14-4-1 (7-0-1 Northwestern District); lost to Fauquier in Region II quarterfinals

Key losses: Brooke Borlie, Bethany Ackerman, Jennifer Share, Kortney Teike, Alexa Pivarnik.

Top returning players: Holly Elko, Sr. F; Caitlin Schrader, Sr. GK; Alysse Hamm, Sr. D; Devan Davis, Sr. M; Casey Ackerman, Jr. M/F; Nastasha Justice, Jr. M/F; Nilsia Velasquez, Jr. M; Taylor Hicks, Jr. D.

Key newcomer: Lauren Reed (transfer from Sherando)

Cottino’s outlook: “We’ve got players who can score in Holly and Casey up top, and Rylee Learn and Devan Davis as well, and we’ve got Caitlin back in goal and Taylor Hicks back at sweeper. The last two years have been great winning the district and going to regionals, but we couldn’t get over the hump. We’re looking to change that this year.”

Opener: Tuesday vs. Broadway, 7:30

Handley

Coach: John Lynch, 4th year

Last year: 5-10-0 (4-4-0 Northwestern District); lost to Sherando in district semifinals.

Key losses: Anna Robinson, Alison Snow, Kim Rosario, Leigh Sheppard, Holly Ogilvie, Courtney Pryde, Mary Deskins.

Top returning players: Ellie Volinsky, Jr. GK; Madai Guzman, So. F/M; Krystal Rosario, Jr. F/M; Scarlett Hutchins, Sr. D; Katie Nerangis, F. F/M.

Key newcomers: Kara Johnson, Fr. M.

Lynch’s outlook: “[The new conference format] is going to be interesting for us because we only play one team from Conference 23 and that’s Harrisonburg. I don’t know if we’ve ever seen Amherst or Louisa County, and Fluvanna has been hit and miss over the years, but I think it’s going to come down to us, Charlottesville and Harrisonburg to see who comes out on top.”

Opener: Saturday vs. Waynesboro, 12:45

James Wood

Coach: Jim Carden, 6th year

Last year: 6-10-2 (3-3-2 Northwestern District); lost to Millbrook in district semifinals.

Key losses: Emma Watts

Top returning players: Emily Denton, So. F; Alex Stanford, Jr. M/F; Meghan Hammond, Sr. D/M; Marissa Maddalena, Sr. M; Abby Lanham, So. D/M; Adrienne Thomas, So. D/F; Makayla Gloyd, So. D/MF.

Key newcomers: Neary Casebolt, Fr. M; Hannah Moszak, Fr. M.

Carden’s outlook: “Based on history we should have plenty of scoring options, but we have to stay healthy and the girls have to work together. I think we’re looking up at Millbrook, Handley and Sherando, but we’ll go as far as our bench will take us. Because last year I felt like some of our freshmen got tired at the end of the season.”

Opener: Today at Spotswood, 7:30

Clarke County

Coach: Larry Hart, 1st year

Last year: 18-3, Bull Run District Tournament champion, lost in Region B quarterfinals.

Key losses: Graduated 15 seniors, foreign exchange student Kati Kotka returned to Finland.

Top returning players: Jessie Ambrosio, Jr. GK; Emily Deem, Jr. M; Taylor Marshall, Sr. F; Jackie Tredway, Sr. M.

Key newcomers: Allison Turner, Jr. D; Madison MacKintosh, Jr. D; Michaela Harrell, Jr. M; Hannah Ravenscroft, So. M.

Hart’s outlook: “[George] Mason will hands down be the toughest [team in Conference 35] with the girls they bring back. Madison is always pretty decent and I’m not sure what Central’s got this year, but I think as long as we don’t get paired with Mason in the tournament we’ll have a good chance of moving on.”

Opener: Friday vs. William Monroe, 7

SVCA

Coach: Dustin Wheelock, 7th year

Last year: 21-2-1, lost in VACA state finals

Key losses: Jessica Crowley, Sarah McGann, Kayla Freemire, Hayley North, Maddie Deason.

Top returning players: Megan Norton, Sr. F; Abby Beaty, So. M; Bethany Emswiller, Sr. F; Katie Wykoff, Sr. F; Krista Freemire, Jr. D; Hannah McGann Jr. F; Kayla Phaneuf, Jr. GK; Alyssa Stover, So. M; Grace Snyder, So. D.

Key newcomers: Anna Schloemer, Fr. M; Nikki Taylor, Fr. D; Anne Runion, 8th M; Alex Yarnall, Fr. M; Kelly Tarmon, So. D; Alex Garcia, Fr. F; Kristen Hotek, Jr. M.

Wheelock’s outlook: “Last year the advantage we had was just a lot of veteran players so we could just step right in and be strong. But this year we’re really going to have to learn and grow as we go. I think we’re quicker than we were last year, we’re going to be able to pressure teams and get on top of the ball faster. And even though we’re younger they don’t get overly nervous. It seems to be a particularly calm team.”

Opener: Today at Fredericksburg Christian, 3:30

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