MADISON TWP. — The Madison High girls soccer team was on the rise in 2018.
And Mohawks second-year coach Hannah Murphy said there’s plenty of momentum left from last season to go around right about now.
“Coming into this season, I expect the team to build on where we left off,” said Murphy, whose squad is coming off a 7-8-1 overall, 4-6 Southwestern Buckeye League performance. Madison finished with more than five wins in a season for the first time since 2012.
“Last season we had a few games where the results should have been different, and it was totally on us for dropping the ball,” Murphy added. “We have plenty of returning starters and a lot of young talent to build off of. I expect us to be better finishers this year and more prone to play to feet, which helps us tremendously.”
Murphy said the Mohawks plan to focus in on those adjustments — with the help from their captains, senior forward/midfielder Keri Wheeler and sophomore midfielder Layla Youtsler.
Wheeler received second team all-district and first time all-league honors last season, while Youtsler grabbed honorable mention all-league.
“We will still have our areas of strength — physicality, playing into space, and speed,” Murphy said. “But with this group this season, I expect us to improve on playing to feet, playing wide and finishing.”
Other returning starters are sophomore forward Carly Blaylock, senior defender Kayla Flannery, junior midfielder/forward Halle Margerum, junior defender Alyssa McGuire, senior defender Crystalyn Mullins and senior goalkeeper/striker Kenzi Saunders.
Rounding out the roster is junior midfielder Olivia Kraft, freshman midfielder Ava Gray, senior midfielder Riley Melampy, freshman goalkeeper Kenzie Moore, senior forward Hannah Pfeiffer, sophomore defender Elly Aponte, sophomore goalkeeper Abby Crim and freshman defender Jullian Schatzley.
“I believe with the leadership out of our captains,” Murphy said, “we will have an incredibly strong program to put up a fight against our very tough league competition.”
The Mohawks open the season up at Franklin Monroe on Friday, Aug. 16 at 5:30 p.m.
