For the past few years, Ithaca High School has been the gold standard when it comes to girls soccer in the area. That was especially evident last fall, where the Little Red won its first STAC championship since 2004 as well as its third straight Section IV crown. But with a significant senior class graduating this past summer, a new-look squad will be tasked with defending both those titles.
Of the 22 players on the Little Red’s roster last year, 11 were seniors. As they retain exactly half of the team, 15 players have been brought into the fold. Head coach DJ Roberts knows the newcomers have an idea of his system that has worked wonders since he took over the program in 2023. But he also understands that tweaks will be made to match this year’s squad.
“It’s a bit of a learning curve there, so it’s going to take some time for us to adjust,” Roberts said. “But I feel full confidence in the team and in the direction that we’re going. Everybody’s hungry. Everybody wants more.”
The new-look Little Red was thrown right into the fire to begin the season as it hosted reigning Section III Class B champions West Genesee. Ithaca ended up losing 3-0, conceding all three goals in the first half. But the second half was much improved. They were actually the more dangerous of the two teams going forward but couldn’t find the back of the net.
“It gave me this new sense of belief and this full confidence in the team in the way they responded,” Roberts said. “ If we play the way we played that second half against a team of that quality and that level, I feel very good about the season.”
Since then, the Little Red recorded its first win of the season, edging Elmira 1-0.
Another big question for Ithaca is where the attacking production will come from. Of the 44 goals they scored last season, only eight of those goals are from returning players. They’ll turn to Sonia Enns to lead the way this year. The senior tallied six goals last time out, mainly off the bench. Now in a bigger role, Roberts is confident she’ll rise to the occasion.
“Sonia is the standard for the team,” Roberts. “There’s not another player in the team that works as hard as Sonia day in day out in training and games. She’s all over the pitch. She’s just a joy to watch. She sets the standard for herself and everyone else, the whole program as a whole, and I think we’ll see great things from Sonia this season.”
The only other returning goalscorers with one each last year are Sydnie Peluso and Izzy Makosch, the latter of whom is out for the season with a torn ACL.
The area where the Little Red has the most experience is the back line. Senior Elsa Weatherspoon and junior STAC All-Conference selection Sadie Hajjar are the returning defensive starters. Weatherspoon and Hajjar are team captains along with Enns.
“I think we’re gonna see amazing things on both sides of the ball from Sadie and Elsa,” Roberts said. “My expectation for them is just to continue to be great. These are players who just want to work and just show why they deserve to be on this team and a part of this unit. In a team that had such great success last season, they showed why they deserve that spot.”
There are two underclassmen who are set to also make a big impact in the defensive half. Jasmine Outzen takes over as the starting goalkeeper as only a sophomore, while freshman Katija Sosic impressed in her varsity debut alongside Weatherspoon and Hajjar.
“Jasmine is willing,” Roberts said. “She’s a hard worker. She wants to learn the game. We’re taking it a day at a time, but we have full confidence in her ability to do the job… Katija wowed us in the first game that we played against such a quality opponent. She came out of her shell and just dominated in the back line. The way she handled the game and handled herself, I thought she was exceptional in that game. I think we will see great flashes from this player this season and in years to come.”
Ithaca knows that it has a giant target on its back as it aims for an STAC repeat and a sectional four-peat. No matter where they end up come November, the Little Red will certainly be fun to watch for another autumn.
“The one thing we can promise everyone that’s watching and everyone that will come out to watch is that they will be entertained,” Roberts said. “You will see electric, exciting football from this young group. They’re very talented, and it’s just a joy to watch them from the sideline every single time.”
