Success can be double-edged sword for a soccer program, bringing
respect and excitement but also the burden of high
expectations.
The Healdsburg varsity girls¹ soccer team will have a tough act
to follow this fall, as the team prepares for the upcoming fall
season. The Lady Greyhounds are coming off of two of the best years
in school history, including a 14-win season, 10-2 league record
and a share of the 2005 Sonoma County League championship.
The Hounds have made a remarkable rise in the soccer ranks in
the past five years under veteran coach Herbert Lemus, earning him
Sonoma County League Coach of the Year honors in each of the past
three seasons. Known for his passion for the game and ability to
get the most from his players, Lemus approaches the 2006 campaign
with cautious optimism.
³I try to set realistic goals for the team every year and I
never want to set them too high,² said Lemus, who will be assisted
by returning coach Jorge Hernandez and JV coach Jorge Ramos. ³It
may be a challenging year- our goal is to stay close to the .500
mark and have a shot at the playoffs.²
The Lady Hounds lost four all-league players to graduation in
June, including their entire all-league mid-field, but have plenty
of talent coming back.
Healdsburg returns seasoned four-year seniors: forward Tianna
Barbier, mid-fielder Rebekah Row and defenders Marlee Spadoni and
Carli Thomas; third-year juniors goalie Chelsea Bingham, defender
Colby Payne, mid-fielder Maria Gerstley and mid-fielder Courtney
Carlson; second-year sophomores forward Natalie Cook and forward
Katie Twiddy and a possible four freshmen that may include goalie
Elizabeth King, and mid-fielders Claire Bingham and Julia
Murphy.
The team suffered a major setback when third-year starting
goalkeeper Chelsea Bingham sustained a broken ankle last month,
leaving the team with a major question mark at the position.
However, if the Hounds can find a capable backup and the rest of
the team can stay healthy this season, look for the team to be
right in the thick of a hotly contested race.
³I expect Windsor to be the team to beat again this year in the
SCL, with Petaluma right there too,² predicted Lemus.
No place like home
Healdsburg will play its league home games in the friendly
confines of Recreation Park again this year, where the team has
been almost unbeatable the past two seasons. With its tight
dimensions the home field has provided a big advantage for
Healdsburg¹s physical and tenacious style of play, leading to a
tremendous 12-1-1 record in the last 14 league games.
The ladies will open the pre-season with a three-game tournament
at Piner High School in Santa Rosa this Saturday, August 26.
Healdsburg is scheduled to play at 10:15 a.m. and again at 12:45
and 2 p.m.
Next week, the Hounds play at Ukiah on August 28, followed by a
road game at Piner on Wednesday, August 30 (varsity 4 p.m./ JV 5:30
p.m.).
