When the Groton girls soccer team took the pitch last fall, they embarked on a historical campaign. Led by a strong senior class of 10 players, the Red Hawks captured the Section IV Class C title for the first time since 1987. It’s a new-look squad this fall, and the first half of the year has been filled with ups and downs.
The Red Hawks sit with a 4-4-1 record, as of September 21. The biggest highlight was winning the Cufari Kickoff Classic Tournament in Union Springs. Their run to the title began in dramatic fashion against Moravia, taking down the Blue Devils on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie. The final against Dryden was much less nerve-wracking with a 3-0 win. Head coach Jocelyn Lathers knows it was a great boost for a young team.
“We had so much energy that weekend,” Lathers said. “It felt good to be in a tournament. “We didn’t play in one last year, so it was kind of nice to go into it [knowing] that there’s a trophy at the end. Those kinds of feelings really amp up the girls.”
Graduating so many seniors, most of whom were starters, can typically make for a challenging transition. But Lathers was proactive by having a larger roster than usual last year with 24 players. The fact that the majority of the team has at least one year of varsity experience under their belt ensured the Red Hawks didn’t start from scratch.
“I think that was helpful in not having us have to start as a blank page this year because those girls already have a lot of that knowledge that they learned from those other girls,” Lathers said. “It’s nice to see them now being the leaders because they recognize that our leaders are gone.”
While they’ve already lost as many games as they did last season, those defeats were hard-fought against some tough opponents, including a season-opening setback to Class AAA Elmira. Lathers has seen firsthand how much the Red Hawks have improved since then.
“I think the chemistry is still building, but I really think I see that composure,” Lathers said. “It’s always the word I use at tryouts. I am looking for people that can get on that field and just compose themselves because you need that, especially in moments when it gets really intense. You need someone to be able to step back and kind of pull the team together, and I do think that we’ve grown in that area.”
The position that requires the most composure is undoubtedly the goalkeeper. Luckily for Groton, that’s where they have the most experience with Stella Holl patrolling the net. The senior enters her fourth year as the starting keeper, and she’s been an invaluable asset for so many of the younger players.
“She’s like another coach out there,” Lathers said. “The girls listen to her. They look up to her. The minute she puts her feet on the field, the energy on that field changes. She just brings energy with her. She’s very influential.”
Another area where the Red Hawks retain some experience is in their back line. Senior Brooke Sovocool and sophomore Carmen Bishop are two returning starters, and they’ve also helped out the newcomers adjust to their defensive structure.
“Having them there and directing whoever I put there has been great,” Lathers said. “It’s been very important. I’ve been kind of rotating girls throughout to see who’s going to be the strongest. Having their knowledge there when they’re out there on the field is awesome.”
To the midfield, Groton graduated a major piece to the puzzle in Devyn Blasz, as the reigning All-State selection continues her career at St. John Fisher University. Junior Remi Marshall has seamlessly stepped into Blasz’s role of controlling a key area of the field. Truth Snyder is another returning midfielder after a promising debut last year as an eighth grader where she was named an IAC All-Star.
As for the new players, a trio of freshmen have impressed. Moira Roberts has been a regular starting defender and plays in goal when Holl is moved to an outfield player, Phoebe Bishop is helping out in midfield, and Alyssa Mejia has switched with Snyder between midfield and striker.
As the second half of the season gets underway, the Red Hawks are looking to find their stride and continue to progress.
“I think we need to figure out that identity and who we are now that we’ve lost such a big chunk,” Lathers said. “I think an important part of that is to continue to push the girls to see their strengths. They need to see themselves as just as strong because it’s easy to compare yourself to those 10 girls that left. I think just building up their strengths, building up their skills will get us there, and then just coming together and forming our new varsity squad I think is really the goal.”
