CHS girls' soccer team excited about season

By Joe Ragozzino
Sports editor
Coming off a highly productive summer, the Columbia High School girls’ varsity soccer team has high hopes of having a successful season, which begins Sept. 11 against Nutley at DeHart Park at 11 a.m.
The Cougars, under second-year head coach Stephen Jones, have a strong returning nucleus, looking to continue to build off last year’s 9-4-4 season that included reaching the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 tournament quarterfinals where they lost a heartbreaking 1-0 double-overtime decision to Hunterdon Central.
For the Lady Cougars, defense and chemistry will go a long way towards accomplishing their goals this season.
“In truth, the major reason for the team’s success last year and the basis for any improvement this fall is their team ethic, particularly when it comes to defending,” said Jones. “They are selfless players who work extremely hard without the ball to cover for one another and this leads to frustration on the part of our opponents.”
Leading the Cougars will be the three senior captains, Lucy Nelson, Violet Tamayo and Olivia Sohr.
Nelson is a smart, tough defender who can play outside back or central defense, said Jones. Tamayo is a lightning-quick wide midfielder who has performed well in the preseason workouts, while Sohr is one of the team’s most naturally gifted players who was the Cougars’ leading scorer last year en route to earning All-Essex County and All-Super Essex Conference-Liberty Division honors.
Other returning players who received various honors last season include junior goalie/midfielder Amy French, and juniors Olivia Mangan, Tuerre Chisholm Thomas, Kelsy Burgess and Jessica Matalon.
French is exceptional player in both of her positions; Mangan is one of the best players in the area in one-on-one situations; Chisholm, as a wide midfielder, is one of the fastest players in the state; Burgess will play outside back and Matalon is a “rock” in the defensive third, said Jones.
In the midfield, senior Julia Walker and juniors Megan Kirk, Keneavy Krenzin, Julianne Savoy and Celia Joyce are expected to provide key contributions, Jones said. Sophomore Kelsi Earle is an exciting player who can play in any third of the field, said Jones.
On the attack, seniors Sammy Guillen and Meredith Crane bring experience, while junior Margot Kleinberg has the potential to have a major impact in the conference, said Jones.
Junior keeper Eliza Grey also will see time, while juniors Mary Nolet, Fayola Etienne and Lena Eisenstein provide depth on defense.
Since July 7, the Cougars have been practicing three times a week on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings, with the attendance averaging 30 to 40 players, much to Jones’ delight. The Cougars demonstrated a positive attitude while working on individual technical work, ball manipulation and one-on-one attacking skills with small-sided games, Jones said. They also have done speed and conditioning work, and have shown good levels of fitness, he said.
In addition, a group of players participated in the UK Elite Global team travel program in which they traveled to Spain in July and played games in Barcelona and Madrid against international competition from all over Europe. In the final tournament, they lost in the championship game by a goal, said Jones.
The players also visited San Sabastian and were in Madrid on Word Cup Final day, sharing the experience with the Spanish citizens of watching their country win the World Cup for the first time.
Approximately 30 players participated in the UK Elite Residential Soccer Academy in Lawrenceville Prep in which they took part in three training sessions a day, including an evening session that involved scrimmages against teams from Pennsylvania, New York and South Jersey.
“Their improvement throughout the week was noticeable,” said Jones.
With this valuable off-season experience, the Cougars are excited about the season.
“I am hoping this year that we can develop the attacking play from this solid foundation and our goal is simply to improve in every game we play and perform to the maximum of our ability,” said Jones. “If we can do this, then most times the outcome of the game will take care of itself.
“I would say that I have been involved in coaching both here and in England for over 20 years and this may well be the most coachable and committed group I have worked with.”