Seniors Pace Lake Shore Soccer Team

The Shorians and Huskies girls soccer teams are both squads in transition.

The Shorians have started out strong with a 3-1 record to open the season under seventh-year coach George Spiteri.

They had a tough 2010, though, with a 6-11-3 record overall and a 1-9-2 record in the MAC Blue.

“We do play in a division loaded with all Division I opponents so this puts us behind the eight ball right off the bat just because we don’t have those numbers,” Spiteri said. “I feel that we should be able to finish at least at .500. We need to play in this division to be able to compete in districts–even if it means taking some lumps along the way.”

The Shorians are a mix in terms of experience, boasting seven seniors and two juniors. However, the rest of the squad is made up of sophomores.

Spiteri says his team has several strengths–including solid play by a bevy of seniors.

Key players include senior defender Alyssa Swarthout, who has played on the varsity squad for four years now.

“She brings good leadership and is a versatile player who will play not only on defense this season but other spots as well if needed,” Spiteri said.

Also expected to contribute is senior midfielder Aleesha Kiesgen, who is known as a good leader who can control the middle of the field, and senior forward Lauren Moore.

“I feel our main weakness is our overall depth,” Spiteri said. “To be successful we need our new players to gain experience and become confident in themselves, otherwise we will have to play our top players way too much. Our season is so short and we are forced to play too many three-game weeks."

The Huskies have had a solid start at 2-2-1, being 0-1 in the MAC White.

Coach Brooke Sweeney, who is currently in her fifth year with the team, says her squad is a little young but does boast a nice mix of seniors and underclassmen.

“I don’t really like to say we’re a young team because all schools deal with all age kids,” she said. “I have nine players coming back and graduated five seniors–four of which were starters.”

The Huskies had a tough 2010, finishing 5-11-3 overall and 1-10-1 in the division.

This year, Sweeney says her team’s strengths include scoring and focus. Though it’s early in the season, she says that size could be a possible weakness.

“It’s going to be a tough year because the divisions just change this year so we will be seeing some new teams this year and there are a lot of good, strong teams in our division,” she said. “We are ready for new challenges and excited to compete.”

Key players for the Huskies include senior defender Brooke Lawler, who is going to Toledo next year.

“She’s a great defender and great leader on the field,” Sweeney said. “She was all-county, district, regional and honorable mention for the state the past two years.”

Also expected to contribute is , a sophomore forward who made all-county, district and honorable mention last year for the state.

The Cavaliers are also expected to have an exciting season in
the MAC Silver. They are currently 1-1 overall, 1-0 in the division.

This story was corrected at 8:07 p.m., Monday, April 25.