Midlands Girls Soccer Teams to Watch
A.C. Flora
Coach: Charles Foster (1st year)
Last Year’s Record: 9-12-1
Preseason Ranking: No. 7 in Class 4A
Key Players Lost: Allie Crossland, Lauren Layden, Emily Geiger (injury)
Number of Starters Returning: 7
Key Returnees: Kate Timbes, Kathryn Roberts, Karina Tata, Amelia Gavin, Grace Reynolds, Sawyer Brown
Newcomers to Watch: Sarah Brown (return from injury), Copeland Reynolds, Elizabeth Thomas
Ben Lippen
Coach: Pablo Pilpe
Last Year’s Record: 11-10-0
Key Players Lost: Sadhbh Barry, Emily Mitchell
Number of Starters Returning: 7
Key Returnees: Nan Spacek, Gracia Almadoz (12 goals, 2 assists); Kathryn Cauble (7 goals 4 assists); Claire Davis (12 goals, 2 assists)
Newcomers to Watch: Mary Rose Gaines
Batesburg-Leesville
Coach: Maggee Ellis (1st year)
Preseason Ranking: No. 5 in Class A/2A
Key Players Lost: 2
Number of Starters Returning: 10
Key Returners: Kaitlyn Anderson, Kirkland Burkett, Paige Kaiser, Haven Banks, Megan Cobb
Newcomers to Watch: N/A
Blythewood
Coach: Lillian Knight (4th year)
Last Year’s Record: 14-5
Key Players Lost: Taylor Barber, Morgan Cordier
Number of Starters Returning: 7
Key Returnees: Erica Zippel, Kayla Reese, Loranna Austin, Claire Ellis
Newcomers to Watch: Ariana Paez, Liz Schossler
Brookland-Cayce
Coach: Emily Heise
Last Year’s Record: 15-8-2
Preseason Ranking: No. 4 in Class 3A
Key Players Lost: AJ Gilmore, Rebekah McGee, Haley Harrell
Starters Returning: 7
Key Returnees: Elizabeth McGee, Alyssa Stevens, Ari Fuller, Catherine McKeown
Newcomers to Watch: Kayann Glass
Cardinal Newman
Coach: Will Plexico (3rd year, 33-14-1)
Last Year’s Record: 17-7-1
Preseason Rank: No. 1 in SCISA 3A
Key Players Lost: Maria Cummings, Alexa Rehling
Starters Returning: 9
Key Returnees: Chloe Cobb; Hailey Laubacker, Ayden Boatwright (16 goals, 7 assists); Tristan Millard (7 goals, 3 assists); Caitlyn Murphy (6 goals, 9 assists); Baylee Cline (4 assists)
Newcomers to Watch: Hannah Hartel and Emily Berg
Chapin
Coach: Bob Taylor
Last Year’s Record: 20-2-1
Preseason Rank: No. 1 in Class 4A
Key Players Lost: Jordan Dawsey, Shelby Waites, Haley Monts, Hunter Stalker, Maggie Copeland.
Starters Returning: 9
Key Returnees: Rachel Cosby, Hannah Shaffer, Mackenzie Hooker, Anna Remmensnyder, Katie Arthur, Salley Slice; Sara Taylor
Newcomers to Watch: Isabel Zarzuela, Amanda Espisito, Leslie Correll
Dreher
Coach: David Kleinfelder (37 years, 471-234-30 overall; 191-100-5 at Dreher)
Last Year’s Record: 20-2
Preseason Rank: No. 6 in Class 4A
Key Players Lost: Kasey Parker, Kendall DeBerry, Hannah Hunter, Sarah Brady, Ashley Stone
Key Returnees: Maggie Shaw, Sam Shaw, Naomi Matthusen, Regan Dennis, Gracie Barrineau, Anna Stone, Julia Rayfield
Newcomers to Watch: Callie Reid, Liz Burbage
Dutch Fork
Coach: Karl Geliske (1st year)
Last Year’s Record: 15-4
Preseason Ranking: No. 9 in Class 5A
Key Losses: 5 all-region players
Key Returnees: Meredith Holton, Alyssa Ross, Brogan Brown, Heather Spigner Reese Markland.
Newcomers to Watch: Mary Moosebrugger, ErinThielbar and Hadley Markland
Hammond
Coach: Nicole Bulinsky (4th year)
Last year’s record: 5-5 (region)
Preseason Rank: No. 5 in SCISA Class 3A
Key players lost: Anne Jenkins, Maggie Adams, Peyton Woodbrown, Liles Wall
Starters Returning: 7
Key Returnees: TJ Hain, Rivers Clarke, Rosemary Angel
Newcomers to Watch: Hannah Wassermann, Natasa Franklin
Lexington
Coach: Chris Fryland (19th year, 326-67-7)
Last Year’s Record: 27-0
Preseason Rank: No. 2 in Class 5A
Key Players Lost: Maddy Goodman, Tiara Evans, Ali Rider
Starters Returning: 8
Key Returnees: Megan Classer (35 goals 13 assists); Mary Katherine Waters (20 goals. 17 assists); Brooke Power (14 goals, 16 assists)
Newcomers to Watch: Katie Reeves, Emma Grace Powers
Spring Valley
Coach: Steve Lea (22nd year at SV, 24th overall, 335-18-21)
Last year’s Record: 11-11-2
Starters Returning: 4
Key Returnees: Mika McAnally, Karolina De La Paz, Austin Lea, Carolina Downs
Swansea
Coach: Chad Meredith (12th year, 167-71-5)
Last Year’s Record: 15-4
Preseason Rank: No. 5 in Class 3A
Key Players Lost: Casi Krasselt
Starters Returning: 10
Key Returnees: Bri Reynolds (33 goals, 12 assists); Jane Ashley Meredith (22 goals, 26 assists); Kandy Crossland (5 goals, 5 assists); Rachel Burns (5 goals, 5 assists)
Newcomers to Watch: Carlie Branham, Janiya Johnson and Adriane Miller