New Look TMHS Girls Soccer Team Will Rely On Youth

With no more than two or three returning seniors in the projected starting line-up and a youthful new coach at the helm, the Tewksbury High girls soccer team will be relying heavily on its younger players as the Redmen attempt to this fall.

The new coach is Jeff Keefe, a 2002 graduate of Billerica High who spent four years in the Marines after high school and graduated from Framingham State University in 2010 with a degree in education. Keefe, who works as a in Tewksbury, has never coached soccer before, but he did coach high school lacrosse for two seasons at Marian Catholic High School in Framingham when he was in college.

The lone returning senior letter winner is , who was not a starter last season. Seniors Maria Correa and Jordyn LeBlanc will compete for playing time at outside mid-fielder, but after that it's all sophomores and juniors.

As was the case last year, much of the team's success will revolve around , who will captain the team along with LeBlanc and . Chaet earned all-state honors from the EMass Girls Soccer Coaches Association last year after leading Tewksbury to an 11-4-3 regular season record.

Chaet, who led the MVC in scoring with 18 goals as a sophomore striker, will be moving to the position of attacking center mid this fall.

"(Chaet) is a phenomenal athlete and she's got the desire to go with it," Keefe said. "We're hoping we can take her raw skill and talent and put her in a position where she can thrive, and also assume more responsibilities."

Chaet, who scored two goals in the team's 3-0 scrimmage win over Tyngsboro last Saturday, will still be relied on to carry much of the scoring burden.

"Nicole's skills are suited for midfield but she's also in a position where she can use many of her offensive talents, so we definitely don't want to take any of that away from her," Keefe said.

will be counted on to lead the attack in Tewksbury's 4-4-2 formation, along with sophomore Kashka Gammon. Spencer started at striker alongside Chaet as a freshman last year, tallying 10 goals and earning MVC All-Star honors. Spencer scored a goal in the Tyngsboro scrimmage and poured in four more goals Thursday in the team's 5-0 scrimmage win over Marian Catholic.

"Spencer has excellent ball skills and a great knack for getting to the net and putting the ball in the back of the net," Keefe said. "Kashka (Gammon) is a fiesty forward. She's definitely going to give us some up-tempo play."

Ludka, a two-year letter winner and returning starter, is the likely starter at defensive center mid while another sophomore, Sara Semenza, will move to an outside midfielder position.

"Sara is a smart decision maker and she's really good at getting the ball up field," Keefe said. "She's really good at feeding the forwards."

Semenza's move to outside mid has allowed Keefe to drop returning starter Kelly Quigley back to an outside defender spot. Quigley, a sophomore, scored the fifth goal against Marian Catholic Thursday.

"Quigley may assume a defensive role but that won't take away her ability to get up field," Keefe said. "We have some smart players who know how to rotate in behind her, so even though she may be in a defensive position we expect her to be involved with some of our offense."

The rest of the defense will feature Bouthot at stopper and sophomore Meaghan Blaisdell at sweeper. Sophomore Olivia Gallella, who played on the junior varsity team as a freshman, has moved up to the varsity squad and claimed a starting outside defender position.

"(Gallella) came out of no where and is doing very well," Keefe said. "She's been a real pleasant surprise as a young player. She's come a long way and she gives us some depth at that position."

Junior goaltender Rebecca Davies, a Merrimack Valley Conference All-Star last season, returns to mind the nets.

"(Davies) is actually as good a field player as she is a goalie, but having her in the net is one less thing I have to worry about," Keefe said.

The Redmen open their season on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 3:45 at Notre Dame of Tyngsboro. Their first home game is on Tuesday, Sept. 13 against Methuen at the Livingston Street fields.