By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
This could be the year of the Dragon for the Lake Orion girls? varsity soccer team.
Coach Randy McCoy believes his lady Dragons will compete for the OAA White Division title as the team is loaded with some very good seniors and even a handful of experienced underclassmen.
Coming off their 2-0-1 start, the squad has already faced some stiff completion and looks solid.
‘Our Achilles heel last year was our inability to score,? Coach McCoy said. ‘We know we can be a solid defensive team. Now we need to attack that offense.?
This team will definitely have a different look than last year’s team that finished second in the OAA White and struggled to score goals at times. ?
The senior leadership and experience should give the Dragons some advantages and McCoy expects them to be a contender for the league championship.
‘This is a team that started four years ago with eight freshmen players making varsity, so we are a senior driven team, with 12 seniors,? McCoy said.
That leadership includes Grand Valley senior recruit Madz Ham and four-year starter Arleigh Zimmerman. The Dragons also return two keepers with three years of varsity experience.
This year also marks the return of Hannah Cady, who has signed with Division 1 Western Kentucky, to the team. Last year she played travel soccer.
Returning players Emily Edwards, Nikki Liogas, Molly Moreman, and Lily Cady should see increased workloads this year. ‘Also, newcomers Paige Goodman, Jordan Marchese and Megan Danielson will be expected to contribute immediately.
In short, there are 15 returning player and five former junior varsity players who saw some times on the varsity last year.
‘The strength of the team will be our defense that features an entire returning line-up and keepers, plus back-ups with varsity experience,? McCoy said.
? ‘We should be improved offensively, with the return of Hannah Cady who previously led the team in scoring and Madz Ham who led the team in scoring last year, along with the addition of sophomore Paige Goodman.
‘Those three plus adding two more highly skilled attacking players and all the sudden we get better offensively with really not having to change a whole lot,? McCoy said.
Last season the team finished with a 6-6-6 record but after scrimmaging three powerhouse teams including a tie with defending state champions, Northville, McCoy’s confident he has a team of contenders.
‘We know we can play with anybody and it comes down to what can happen on any given day,? he said.