Even with the loss of Stephanie Hall, center forward, the Warrior’s women soccer team will try to build on the successes of last season with a very strong mix of returnees and newcomers.
“We have a good group of incoming freshman and we still have Jamie Tribble, midfielder, Iliana Gonzalez, midfielder and Jennifer Gonzales, defense, from last year who are doing a good job,” John Britton, head coach, said.
Stephanie Hall, who tore her ACL, is out for the year and is a big blow for the team, but already has a replacement for her in the starting lineup.
“We have lost Stephanie Hall who scored the tying goal against Fullerton but as she scored, the goalkeeper took her out and she’s torn her ACL,” Britton said. “She’ll be red shirted and coming back next year.”
In the first four games, with the fourth being a forfeit already announced by Irvine Valley, the team has looked very good blending good defense with good offense.
“We played very well against a strong Orange Coast team and won, we should have beaten Fullerton but nobody played to their capabilities,” Britton said.
Despite only have half a dozen returnees, the women have a lineup full of club-experienced players who are college-ready to play against the competition.
“Well, the women’s team have far more experience,” Britton said. “The starting 11 all have club experience and many have played with each other in club teams and high school teams so they know each other. They’re all technically good players, physically they’re strong so the women have no real weaknesses.”
In the toughest conference in southern California, the women have to have a strong season to make the playoffs and make an impact but the skill set of the players are capable.
“Right now, we have depth in our bench and a lot of girls who had played club teams and are soccer players,” Jaymie Baquero, head coach for the women’s team, said. “Now, we have 16, 17 players instead of just 11 who have played with more experienced.”
To lead this team both on the field and off to see the strengths and weaknesses, the captains of the teams are from the returnees.
“Stephanie was one of our captains, as well as Jamie Tribble and Iliana Gonzalez,” Baquero said.
With the many strengths of the team, the captains and the players are responsible to correct and identify any weaknesses with the group.
“Our weaknesses right now is just learning to play together because we had girls come and go throughout the summer,” Baquero said. “We need to learn how each person plays on the field and carry our practice strengths over to the game but we do not have too many weaknesses. Just learn to play together, bottom line.
If those weaknesses get corrected, this could be a season where this team can become a force to be recognized and if the preseason is any indication, the women are on the right track.
“I’m looking forward to a successful season with the girls, and a good chance of making the playoffs,” Britton said. “I’m looking for a very positive successful girl season with the early setback being the loss of Stephanie Hall.”
