PREVIEW: Panthers place emphasis on defense

Published by admin on Thu, 04/11/2019 - 10:43am

The Monticello High School girls soccer team, first row from left: Sarah Spence, Gracie Henderson, Delaney Peitz, Hannah Ahlrichs, Lindsey Adams, Kila Bartels and Trista DeShaw. Second row: Esther Funk, Kylie Handel, Olivia Besler, Maci Welter, Lydia Lange, Hailey Wilson, Natalia Williams, Gracie Tuel and Caroline Olson. Third row: head coach Bruce Feuling, Shelby Hicks, Kacie Rickels, Nicole Porter, Mya Boffeli, Sophia Ahlrichs, Megan James, Jordan Lorenzen, Vicki Wallerich, Evee Krouse, Rylee Bauer and manager Micah Williams. Not pictured, Paola Becerra, manager Adele Hogan, and assistant coach Duff Coleman. (Photo by Pete Temple)
GIRLS SOCCER
By: 
Pete Temple
Express Sports Editor

     Keeping opponents off the scoreboard is just as important as scoring goals, a philosophy that will be the focus of the Monticello High School girls soccer team this season.

     The Panthers return a strong group of defenders, as they work to improve on last year’s 1-12 overall record.

     “We have a lot of experience in our defense, which should keep us competitive,” ninth-year head coach Bruce Feuling said.

     In the process, Monticello has a good chance to reduce the number of goals it allowed last season, which averaged 4.173 per game.

     Of the team’s eight returning letter-winners, five are defenders: seniors Jordan Lorenzen and Megan James, and juniors Shelby Hicks, Mya Boffeli and Evee Krouse.

     Conversely, the Panthers scored just nine goals in 13 games last year, and hope to boost that number with the help of returning forwards Sophia Ahlrichs (senior) and Caroline Olson (sophomore), and junior midfielder Vicki Wallerich. Ahlrichs, Olson and Lorenzen each scored one of the team’s goals in 2018.

     The starting goalkeeper is junior Lydia Lange, who opened the season with a shutout at Anamosa.

     The schedule includes some strong opponents, including Maquoketa, Marion and Vinton-Shellsburg.

     But Feuling said the Panthers can be competitive, provided they “show improvement in every match and with every player.”

     To achieve that, he said, the girls need to “practice hard and focus their attention in the game.”

     Duff Coleman is the assistant coach.

     

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