Saturday, August 09, 2008
The Webster County varsity girls’ soccer team already has one more win that it did all last year, and the season has yet to begin.
The Lady Trojans finished 2007 with an 0-16-1 record, but notched a 2-0 win over Louisville-Seneca during the Bluegrass State Games earlier this summer.
Junior co-captain Morgan Major, who scored on a penalty kick in the victory, said it’s a nice way to kick off the 2008 campaign.
“It felt pretty good,” Major said. “I think it will be pretty good for us coming off a win to start the season.”
Webster County graduated four seniors from last year’s squad but welcomes the addition of four freshmen.
Despite last season’s lack of wins, the team scored plenty of goals.
“We want to build on that great year offensively,” coach Tom Welshans said. “We just have to learn our defensive strategies to be better.”
Welshans has had the girls working on defensive skills since June and said he feels it’s an area they will improve upon greatly.
One defender’s play he will not have to worry about is the team’s lone senior, co-captain Kristin Wright, a 2007 all-district selection.
“If somebody is going to score a lot, or we let a couple goals in, I’ll stop them,” she said. “I will do anything in my power to not let them get another goal in the game. I just never give up.”
Wright said she expects the team to be successful because of the winning attitude the girls have developed.
“We have a big season to look forward to,” she said. “We have a lot of strong players coming back, key players. We’re going to show people that we aren’t coming out here to be a joke. We’re serious, we want to play the game.”
Another defender Welshans will depend on is sophomore
Natalie Green.
“She’s our center defender,” he said. “She controls all our defensive sets, so I’m expecting her to step up into that role of defensive captain.”
Mary Rachel Hobgood will act as sweeper on defense as well.
Offensively, the Lady Trojans will be anchored by Morgan, a returning all-district selection, and forwards Sarah Dame and Shelby Todd.
Dame scored the team’s other goal in its win over Seneca and has impressed Welshans.
“She’s just got the most powerful leg,” he said. “Forty yards is no problem for her to pepper the goal.”
Major will play as center forward, but said she will use her left foot most often, which she said gives her an advantage on opponents.
“I like to play on the left side a lot,” she said. “I’m stronger with my left foot. I play up front as a forward, so it’s important for me to be able to get the ball in the goal whenever I can.”
Ellie Green, the team’s third co-captain, will be a midfielder and help fellow juniors Haley Corum and Alyssa Cook, who are new to the program.
Corum and Cook join the team after playing several years on recreational and club teams.
Freshman Halie Brown will get the nod at goalie after playing three years for Welshans on the junior varsity team.
After a summer full of progress and a win to boast as well, the Webster County girls feel well on the way to success this season.
For Wright, in her final year of high school play, she’s hoping to achieve a personal goal as well.
“I hope to score my first goal because I’ve always played defense,” she said. “I’ve never scored a goal so that’s what I hope for, and to get a few wins.”
The Lady Trojans will take to the field Aug. 18 when they visit Muhlenburg-South in search of their first regular season win.
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