Huskies Playoff Preview

[And now for something completely different: a professional sportswriter interviews an amateur high school soccer coach and cranks out 600 words on a deadline. Up the Huskies.]

Listen to Rob Russell and the Tuscarora High soccer team’s trip to the regional playoffs is both reward and opportunity. The Huskies navigated a challenging season marked by injuries and player absences to advance into the postseason, where they have momentum and begin with a clean slate. 

“I told our kids that our goal was to be playing our best soccer at the end of the season and I think we’re doing that,” said Russell, the Huskies’ second-year head coach. “I think we’re in as good a spot as we’ve been all season.” 

The Huskies, who face Heritage High in Leesburg this evening at 6:00, enter the playoffs on an uptick. Though they finished 6-8-2 overall, they were 6-5-1 in Region 4C and tied for fourth after winning three in a row to end the season. The late surge can be traced to a jolt of offense and stability at goalkeeper after a couple months of uncertainty. 

Injuries compounded the uncertainty. Five starters missed multiple games due to injury, and Russell guessed that he was never able to start the same eleven more than twice, which led to both lineup and tactical tweaks. But the return of last year's leading scorer and honorable mention All-Met striker Emmy Tchou three games ago provided a boost to the offense, though she is at less than full strength as she rounds into form.

At the defensive end, talented freshman Laurel Francis, a natural midfielder, has settled in as relief goalkeeper and become much more comfortable in the past couple of weeks. Goalkeeper was a concern for much of the season after the Huskies’ all-district freshman keeper a year ago was forbidden from playing high school ball by her club team coach, so what appeared to be a strength heading into the season became an issue until recently. That, in turn, put added pressure on the Huskies’ back line, an experienced, talented group that has held up remarkably well. 

Backs Maddy Crew and Sydney York are first-team all-district, and senior captain Rosemary Stewart has been steady and solid, in addition to filling in at goalkeeper at times. Senior defensive midfielder Vicky Rojas is second-team all-district and the Huskies’ free kick specialist. 

Senior midfielder Kirran Holt is the team’s engine, Russell said, a tireless competitor who is first-team all-district and was all-region as a junior and is also all-state in track and cross country. She runs marathons and routinely logs five- or six-mile training runs before practice. She’s tied for the team scoring lead with seven goals and an assist, and Tchou’s return has helped create space for her and sophomore wing Kiya Philson, who also has seven goals and an assist. 

Tuscarora’s goal differential is a mite misleading, as early games were against stout competition when the team was still gaining its footing and dealing with myriad injuries. But the breakdown – 8 goals for, 14 against in first six regional matches; 18 goals for, 10 against in final six matches – indicates improvement. 

Despite the early struggles, Russell said the players’ commitment never wavered. “The girls have been awesome,” he said. “It’s a good group that really enjoys being around each other.” 

Russell wouldn’t go so far as to predict a postseason run. If the Huskies get past Heritage, their likely next opponent would be defending state champ Loudoun County High. LCHS is 14-1 and beat Tuscarora 5-0 in April. The Captains have scored 56 goals and allowed just four, according to the school’s website. 

“We’d like the opportunity to see if we can slow them down, but they’re really, really good,” Russell said. “It would be an upset, but it’s sports; who knows.”

Up the Huskies