DYER BROOK, Maine — A new era is dawning for the Southern Aroostook girls soccer team. Faced with insufficient numbers to fill out its varsity squad, the Warriors will look to its eighth-grade class to help boost the ranks this season.
New head coach Holly Vining is back with the Warriors after serving as the middle school coach a year ago. Vining previously coached the SACS varsity team from 2008-10. She replaces Kaylea Harbison, who coached the team the past few seasons.
Her reasons for returning to the coach’s sideline are genuine. “Being with the girls and sharing a passion for soccer with them,” Vining said. Many of the young players who will make the leap to varsity were on her middle school team last season.
A year ago, the Warriors finished the regular season with a 7-6-1 record, which was good enough for the No. 9 seed in Eastern Class D. The squad drew the tough matchup of facing No. 8 Central Aroostook in Mars Hill, a game the Warriors lost 4-0. The Warriors return just three players from that squad.
Coach Vining has a young squad this year, with only one senior and three juniors, which may lead to some growing pains along the way. But she is optimistic the team can learn from any early season missteps to become a competitive squad by season’s end.
“We only have three on our roster who have ever played a varsity sport before,” Vining said. “And we have two varsity age players that haven’t played since middle school.”
A new twist this year is the addition of eighth-graders to the varsity roster in what is believed to be the first time in school history. According to Vining, MPA rules changed this spring so that schools with fewer than 60 girls or 60 boys in school can take eighth-graders on their varsity teams. That number used to be 40 girls or 40 boys.
“Based on what I’ve seen in the preseason, three freshmen and four eighth-graders have the potential to get starting positions,” the coach said.
Members of the Warriors include senior Lily Leavitt (forward); juniors Marissa Boulier (goalie/fullback), Katie Stevens (forward) and Mersia Thibodeau (fullback); sophomore Hanna Marley (forward); freshmen Kylie Vining (midfielder), Katelyn Slauenwhite (midfielder), Kassidy Mathers (midfielder), Maddie Cummings (fullback) and Aaliyona Wenzloff (forward); and eighth-graders on the roster include Hannah Landry (fullback), Abby Stevens (midfielder), Makaelyn Porter (forward), Alexa Merry (goalie/fullback), Sydney Brewer (fullback) and Aliyah Morales (midfielder).
“Lily and Katie are both forwards and we will look to them for offensive leadership, making things happen in and around the net, and spearheading our attacks,” Vining said. “Being a young team, we are fortunate to have Marissa back in the goal. She is aggressive, focused, and a leader on the field, encouraging and directing teammates. We also have several rookies who we expect will make great contributions offensively and defensively over the course of the season.”
Chemistry, speed and aggressiveness, heart, and determination are the strengths of the Warriors this season, according to Vining. “The girls are young, but there’s no question they will do everything in their power to compete,” she said. “That’s just who they are. We will have our lumps this season and use them to learn and improve.”
Offensively, she wants to work on improving the players’ field vision, movement (both on and off the ball), passing, and finishing. Defensively, she plans to work on basic principles of defending (pressuring, covering, balance, recovering and communication).
Assisting coach Vining are volunteer coach Jessica Walker and manager Alexis Hartin. SACS opened its season Friday against Washburn.
