Girls Soccer Preview

Last Monday, the Sherando girls’ soccer team got a pretty good idea of what it’s going to take to be a successful team this year.

The Warriors lost 3-0 to Woodgrove, the team that ended their season in the Region 4C semifinals last year by the score of 2-0. The Wolverines went on to compete in the Class 4 state quarterfinals.

“We had a solid first half,” said Sherando coach Rob Kilmer, who added that the contest was its first time playing on a field with a regulation goal in four weeks because of the weather. “It was zeros at halftime. We certainly had opportunities to score. We missed an open-netter that we should have finished. You’ve got to finish those against good teams like that. They’re probably the team that’s favored to win the state this year.”

Odds are, someone from the Class 4 Northwestern District is going to playing Woodgrove with a state tournament berth on the line in May. With the amount of talent that’s back, the race to see which two teams will represent the seven-team Northwestern District in the Region 4C tournament should be an interesting one.

Kettle Run went 15-2 and won the district regular-season and tournament titles last year. The Cougars bring back four all-district players, including Class 4 co-Northwestern District Player of the Year Payton Fiel.

Kilmer — who spoke on Wednesday, before his team’s 1-0 win over James Wood — believes the district is wide open. Sherando (1-1, 1-0 district) certainly looks like a team that can knock off Kettle Run after earning its first region tournament berth since 2013.

Led by the Northwestern District’s other co-Player of the Year, sophomore forward Kendall Lincoln, the Warriors (13-7 in 2018) have eight returning starters. Lincoln was third in the area with 30 goals and tied for fourth with nine assists in a season that also saw her earn first-team All-Region 4C honors.

Other returning players for Sherando who earned postseason honors last year are senior defender Jessica Poole (Region 4C first team), Region 4C second-team selections Lizzie Campbell (sophomore defender), senior midfielder Sydney Hunter (four goals, seven assists) and freshman midfielder Julia Hunter (three goals, three assists) and second team all-district selection Kara Hendren, a senior goalkeeper who led the area in shutouts with nine and averaged 4.6 saves per game.

Abbie Dodson, an all-conference player in 2017, is back after missing the last quarter of the season last year because of a wrist injury. The Warriors also feature three freshmen who started against Woodgrove (striker Kelsey Johnson is a state Olympic Development Program player) and add a sophomore state ODP player in midfielder Ashley Catalano who elected not to play for the Warriors last year so she could focus on travel soccer. Catalano also started against Woodgrove.

Lincoln is currently playing travel soccer with McLean, which is involved in the Elite Club National League (ECNL). Kilmer said about 90 percent of the league’s players go on to participate in Division I soccer and 40 percent eventually play professionally.

Kilmer said the travel experience that all the players in the area, not just his, are getting is a big part of why he thinks the district race should be an interesting one this year.

“Eleven of our 17 girls go over the mountain to play,” said Kilmer, a 20th-year head coach. “They’re up in McLean. They play for [the Virginia Soccer Association] in Prince William. They’re playing up in Loudoun. And the remaining girls all play travel for Winchester United. That kind of dedication they’ve put in this past year ... never has there been a team at Sherando that’s put more miles, more effort, more money, more time, into preparing for the season.

“Kudos to the parents and kudos to the kids, because they put a lot of time and effort in. Hopefully, we see results from that.”

Sherando’s Winchester-Frederick County rivals will all have different head coaches this year. With Clarke County also turning to a new head coach, Kilmer is the only area head coach who returns from last year.

Handley’s change was unexpected. John Lynch, the Judges’ head coach since 2011, resigned on Wednesday after the team had already played one game. Handley improved to 2-0 on Thursday under the leadership of interim head coach Britt Miller, who was an assistant with last year’s team.

Miller is taking over a talented group. The Judges bring back six starters from a team that went 13-5 last year and add nine freshmen, which makes up more than half of the 17-player roster.

Handley’s returners include junior forward Emma Ricci (Region 4C second team), a junior forward who ranked second in the area with 32 goals and tied for fourth with nine assists; sophomore midfielder Jessica Alamo (Region 4C second team, tied for eighth in the area with seven goals, tied for fourth with nine assists); and second-team all-district forwards Kendall Felix (sixth in the area with 10 goals), a junior, and senior Myah Bales (five goals, five assists).

As far as the freshmen, Mikayla Balio (daughter of former Handley boys’ soccer coach Cosmo Balio) already has two goals and one assist, and Julia Nerangis (younger sister of former Handley star Katie Nerangis) has one goal and five assists, including four against Central.

Handley loses Region 4C second-team goalkeeper Amanda Kesler, who started six games for NCAA Division III national quarterfinalist William Smith College this year. The Judges do have junior Sally Sydnor though, who played in six games as a freshman when Kesler was injured and recorded two shutouts.

James Wood (10-8 last year) is another local team that will pack plenty of punch. The Colonels will feature 11 players with starting experience, including two players who did not participate for last year’s team.

James Wood will be led by Donavan Russell, an assistant on last year’s team. Russell replaces Jim Carden, who guided the Colonels for the previous 10 years. The Colonels are off to a 1-1 start after defeating Clarke County 3-0 and losing 1-0 to Sherando.

James Wood features senior forward Katie Padgett, a Region 4C second-team selection who ranked fourth in the area with 23 goals and second with 18 assists. Padgett will play for NCAA Division II DeSales University in Center Valley, Pa., next year.

Other top players who are back for the Colonels are all-district second-team forward Katelyn Mounts, a sophomore who tied for eighth in the area with seven goals and had six assists; senior midfielder Maddie Myers (five assists, committed to NCAA Division III Lynchburg University); senior center back Lauren Russell, Donavan Russell’s daughter; and senior outside back Hannah Given. Given’s twin sister Hailey is also back to man an outside back position.

James Wood also gets back junior forward Kaylah Gankiewicz, who spent last year with the Virginia Development Academy in Woodbridge but had 10 goals and nine assists to earn first-team All-Conference 21 West honors as a freshman. Senior midfielder/defender Yeakley Pullen returns after missing last season because of a blood clot.

At Millbrook, Matt Cottino is no longer the head coach after spending five years in that role, but he’s still with the team as an assistant to new head coach Rob Douglas. Douglas was an assistant coach for the Pioneers’ boys’ team last year. Douglas has been a travel head coach, but this year will mark the first time he’s been a high school head coach. Other schools he’s assisted are Sherando at the high school level and Ferrum and Shenandoah at the collegiate level.

The Pioneers boasted a record of just 5-12 last year, but they have seven seniors and have half of their returning starters back. This year’s team includes second-team All-Class 4 Northwestern District selections Evie Esslinger, a senior forward who led Millbrook with six goals last year; and sophomore defender Karlie Hepner. The Pioneers are 0-2 so far this year.

Clarke County suffers two major losses with the graduation of midfielders/forwards Danielle Toone and Sydney Staples, who are playing at NCAA Division I schools Longwood University and Lehigh University, respectively. Toone (area-best 40 goals), The Winchester Star Player of the Year and the Class 2 state Player of the Year, was a Big South All-Freshman team selection for Longwood in the fall. Staples was also a Class 2 first-team all-state selection who led the area with 20 assists last year.

The Eagles (13-8-2 last year, 0-2 this year) will try and make a return trip to the Class 2 state tournament under new coach Jon Cousins.

A former Shepherd University player in the early ’90s, Cousins was the JV coach at Tuscarora High School last year. Prior to that, he spent seven years as an assistant coach at Loudoun Valley High School. He also spent two years as the head coach in the early 2000s at Loudoun Valley.

Cousins, who was interested in the Clarke County job because he’s a Clarke County resident, takes over for Louis Taylor. Taylor spent nearly two years as head coach before Stephanie Lawrence, who remains with the Eagles as an assistant, was named the interim head coach for the last two games of the season.

Though Cousins doesn’t have Toone and Staples, he’s added a future NCAA Division I player to his program. Cousins said senior transfer Keagan Bragg, a two-time first-team All-Conference 14 player and a member of last year’s Class 5 state champ Briar Woods, will play for High Point University in North Carolina next year.

Clarke County does bring back several talented players, including Class 2 all-state second-team defender and senior Cami Sowers. Clarke County’s returning offensive leaders include sophomore midfielder Sophia Deem (seventh in the area with nine goals, and seven assists).

As always, the Eagles’ main competition in the Bull Run District will be George Mason. The Mustangs won their 11th straight state title last year.

The following is a glance at each area team:

Sherando

Coach: Rob Kilmer, 20th year.

Last year: 13-7 (9-3 Class 4 Northwestern District); lost to Woodgrove in Region 4C semifinals.

Key losses: Claire Lesman, Lauren Heskett, Alexa Fairis.

Key returnees: Julia Hunter, So., M; Anna Buonocore, Jr., F; Lizzie Campbell, So., D; Kara Hendren, Sr., GK; Sydney Hunter, Sr., M; Ali Baltimore, So., M; Kendall Lincoln, So; F; Olivia Engle Sr., M; Jolie Call, Jr., M; Haley Byrnes, Sr., F; Jessica Poole, Sr., D; Abbie Dodson, Jr., D.

Key newcomers: Kelsey Johnson Fr., F; Ashley Catalano, So., M; Elise Buonocore, Fr., M; Carson Foltz, Fr., M; Jessica Canales, Sr., D.

Kilmer’s outlook: “We’ve got a good, solid, 17 girls. We return 42 goals and 37 assists from the girls that return, so I don’t think [offense] is an issue. We return Kara with that defense with nine shutouts. I think it’s a good, equal balance of [offense and defense]. We have two huge players coming back who suffered year-ending injuries. Ali Baltimore broke her foot [in the 11th game of the season against Fauquier], and she’s made that junior year jump. In our first game, she looked spectacular. Abbie Dodson is back from injury and she looks fantastic. Anna Buonocore has really taken a major step in her game. So the junior class has really taken a major step. Our three freshmen started right away for us. They’re dynamic and can play so many different spots.”

Next game: Tuesday vs. Handley, 7 p.m.

Handley

Coach: Britt Miller (interim coach)

Last year: 13-5 (8-4 Class 4 Northwestern District); lost to Sherando in district semifinals.

Key losses: Amanda Kesler, Julia Brink, Julia Ricci, Madelyn Duffy, Hailey Burke, Kathryn Ellington, Maddie Painter.

Key returnees: Emma Ricci, Jr., F; Kendall Felix, Jr., F; Myah Bales, Sr., F; Jessica Alamo, So., M.; Sally Sydnor, Jr., GK.

Key newcomers: Julia Nerangis, Fr., M; Taylor Roark, Fr., F; Shayla Fitzsimmons; Fr., D; Jordan Lill, Fr., F; Mikayla Balio, Fr., F.

Miller’s outlook: ”I think we’re going to have a really exciting year this year. The potential is really great. I think we’re going to find a good balance of working together, and also every player kind of giving their best for their own play. We have team goals, and every player has their own goal, and we have the potential to realize all of those. It’s an interesting year because we have a solid core, but then we have all this young talent coming up that we’re going to have for the next few years to build upon. It’s an exciting outlook for this year, and beyond. I think [Sydnor] is eager to get in there and be a leader on the team and just work hard and improve.”

Next game: Tuesday at Sherando, 7 p.m.

James Wood

Coach: Donavan Russell, first year.

Last year: 10-8 (7-5 Class 4 Northwestern District); lost to Kettle Run in district semifinals.

Key losses: Abby Duck, Katelyn High, Olivia Pettler, Abbey Esparza.

Key returnees: Katie Padgett, Sr., F; Lauren Russell, Sr., D; Madison Myers, Sr., M; Audrey Hottle, Jr., D; Hannah Given, Sr., D; Katelyn Mounts, So., F; Julia Watts, So., D, Hailey Given, Sr., D, Kaylah Gankiewicz, Jr., F; Yeakley Pullen, Sr., M/D; Sadie Kerns, So., GK (3 shutouts, area-best 6.1 saves per game); Abby Ensogna, So., F; Maddy Milburn, So., M. (6 goals).

Key newcomers: Sidney Rathel Fr., M; Olivia Walker, Fr., F; Olivia Duck, So., M.

Russell’s outlook: “We’re very balanced. If you take the middle of the field, we’re very strong. Lauren Russell has really embraced the role of center back. She’s been playing there for a while and is very, very comfortable there. In front of her we have Audrey Hottle as a defensive midfielder. She’s very poised in that position and has played there a couple seasons. Maddie Myers in central midfield really holds the ball well and makes great decisions. She’s strong and she can shoot. And then we have Katie Padgett at forward. So right up the middle we have girls who can get the ball where we need to be and can score and defend. I thought [our first game] went very well for us. It felt like a scrimmage because we didn’t get a scrimmage in before that, and because of the weather and field conditions. We made a few adjustments at halftime and worked on those things well. It’s a very smart, receptive group of players.”

Next game: Tuesday vs. Clarke County, 7 p.m.

Millbrook

Coach: Rob Douglas, first year.

Last year: 5-12 (3-9 Class 4 Northwestern District); lost to Handley in district first round.

Key losses: Carrington Nordin, Annika Devart, Hannah Amos.

Key returnees: Evie Esslinger, Sr., F; Rachel Keeler, Sr., F/M (5 goals); Hilary Share, Sr., F/M; Ali Devart, Sr., M/F (5 assists); Kelsey Riley, Sr., M/B; Caitlyn Lawson, Sr., D/F; Ashleigh Nail, Jr., D/GK; Mikaela Henning, Jr., D/M; Karlie Hepner, So., D; Katie Douglas, So., F/M; Lauren Rudolph, So., D/M; Abigail Forrest, So., D/M; Jordan Baer, So., GK (3.7 saves per game, 2 shutouts); Addison Hillyard, So., F.

Key newcomers: Jess Cleveland, So., D/M; Amy Huggett, Fr. M/F; Riley Donelan, Fr., D; Amanda Decker, Fr., D/M.

Douglas’ outlook: “We just want to come out and play hard and work hard, and they’ve given that to me and Coach Cottino. They put forth a great effort in practice. We’re just trying to change the mantra and the culture a little bit and just be a team that’s going to be there in front of you for 80 minutes. The players have really bought into being organized and structured and playing defensively as a team. We’re going to have to keep games within check. We can’t get into high-scoring matches. I think Evie is the one we’ll probably look to get the most production and the goal scoring from. There’s others that can certainly chip in, but I think Evie is going to have to be the one we count on to get it done for us. I think Karlie Hepner and Abigail Forrest are going to be our anchors in the back the entire season as our center backs.”

Next game: Today at Warren County, 7 p.m.

Clarke County

Coach: Jon Cousins, first year.

Last year: 13-8-2 (6-3-1 Bull Run District); lost to Maggie Walker in the Class 2 state quarterfinals.

Key losses: Danielle Toone, Sydney Staples, Sabrina Beach.

Key returnees: Cami Sowers, Sr., D; Sophia Deem, So., M; Maeve Lyman, Sr., M; Zoe Zimmerman, Jr., D/M; Alison Sipe, So., D/M.

Key newcomers: Keagan Bragg, Sr., M/F (transfer from Briar Woods); Emma Massanopoli, So., F; Rebecca Camacho-Bruno, Fr., M/F; Charlotte Maiberger, Fr., M/F; Maya Marasco, Fr., M/F; Emma Rogers, Fr., GK.

Cousins’ outlook: “Win, lose or draw, I just want to outwork the other team. I think there’s more to a successful program than just relying on the superstars. We definitely have some talent, but I want the kids to just enjoy the game and work hard for each other. We’re a young team with 12 sophomores and freshmen, but the few seniors we have are leading well. In due time, I think the kids will gell together. The kids are real positive and work for each other.[Bragg] is pretty phenomenal in my opinion. She’s a heck of an athlete. She brings an element of skill, experience, and speed that pushes the team to compete at a higher level, that’s for sure. Keagan and Maeve Lyman will be playing central midfield. Maeve is going to help create things and bring us success on the attack.”

Next game: Tuesday at James Wood, 7

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