The first match of the 2025 Huskies girls soccer season kicks off tomorrow evening. We won't be running back the Ted Lasso series, but we will offer the occasional update for our fans. Today, a brief season preview, a look ahead at my first season as the big whistle (with a nod to OBX Dave for the nomenclature).
Over the past three seasons, the Lady Huskies have won three district titles, advanced to two state title games, and won it all in 2023. That trophy-lifting team had seven players who went on to compete collegiately, four at the Division I level. We graduated four kids in 2024, including the district player of the year. Solid pedigree, the program.
This season, we return three starters from a team that won the district and lost in the final minute of the regional tournament semifinal. Two of our three best returning players chose not to play high school ball this season to focus on their recruitment (an increasingly common practice among elite female players). The other underwent elbow surgery three weeks ago and is doubtful for the season. We have more freshmen on our Varsity roster than we do seniors. We have one player who is a collegiate-level talent (though a couple of the freshmen have potential), but she's even more talented as a cross-country and track athlete, so her future likely lies there. Ava (2022 State Class 4 POY, Junior defender at William & Mary) and Mia (2023 State Class 4 POY, Junior midfielder at ODU) aren't walking through that door.
I have been very impressed by the kids' work ethic, coachability, and energy in training. We are far better defensively than on the attack, at least right now. Gonna need to coax some 1-0 wins out of the squad. We scrimmage tomorrow against a school from the largest of Virginia's six high school classifications (we're in Class 4), so it will be an uphill battle. I've told the kids that I don't care about the score, but about how they compete.
That'll be our mantra for the first 10 (two scrimmages and eight non-district matches) outings. My goal for the non-league portion of the campaign is to figure out how we best set up to have a chance to win in the district. I think we have a chance to be competitive in the league, and the aforementioned trend of elite players sitting out (or in the case of last season's three best players, graduating early and starting college in January of their high school senior years) means that the district and region could be wide open.
That's a lot more words than I intended to type. I'm kinda excited, if you can't tell. More to come, and I'll leave you with this goal from Tigres' Jacquie Ovalle from the weekend. Check out Jenni Hermoso, the player who gets the assist, at the 1:12 mark. Que golazo! Gonna tell the kids to channel this.
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15 comments:
I am dragging today after my marathon weekend of volleyball on the west coast and the drive to and fro. Twas worth it though. After a rugh start to the tournament she got her shit together and played really well. Even got moved around and played a bunch near the net as a hitter. Which, if you know my kid, is something. She takes after Mom (4'11") and Dad (5'10") so height isn't her thing but she's a good enough athlete and pretty crafty. Her team isn't as good as last year but they fight and fought hard enough to take 1st in the Silver division on the tournament. And now I have the next two weekends off after 3 straight weekends out of town.
Coach 'em up, Rob.
as my good friend and fogtb buck marston told me recently, sometimes it ain't about the x's and o's, it's about the jimmies and joes. jaimes and josies?
I imagine Buck could teach them a few lessons in pugilism too, should the need arise.
Vamos! Huskies
starting lineup for tomorrow will feature three freshmen, one sophomore, five juniors (only one of whom has started a game previously), and two seniors (again, only one previous starter). asking the fans for patience.
it's all about setting the expectations rob. as the same Buck (and others here i believe) used to say....if a lassie doesn't meet your expectations, lower them
For a moment I thought Mark had a volleyball tourney on the West Coast. Took me a second to realize he'd driven his daughter to the west coast... of Florida.
Understandable, I think, if you acknowledge there are only 2 states that have east and west coasts, Florida and Hawaii. Maybe Michigan, too, when you have Great Lakes around you can't see the other side of from the shore. So maybe NY squeaks onto the list that way. And Alaska has a north and south coast. Okay then.
massachusetts has a west coast...of cape cod. one of the few places on the eastern seaboard where one can watch the sun set into the water.
Ah yes!
Wow, Delaware knocked off Towson
someone i know had $50 on towson to cover the 6.5-point spread, on the theory that a) delaware was playing their 4th game in 4 days, and b) towson is much better. me. i was that someone. i'm gonna make one more bet with the rest of my money and be done with it.
game daaaaaaay!
follow @ths_huskies_girls_soccer on IG if you dig rudimentary social media posting skills and competitive high school soccer.
maybe don't check on your retirement accounts for a minute
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