Girls Soccer: Croton-Harmon Getting Better

Sometimes the record doesn’t show the improvement a team has made in its play.

That is the case for Croton-Harmon, which is 3-4. One of its co-captains, senior sweeper Lauren Lopano, said though that her squad has shown improvement in numerous areas, which should bold well as the Tigers approach the second half of their schedule.

“We have a young team but we are doing well,” Lopano said. “We have a new coach (Jim Cancellaro) and we are improving. I think we are more focused on possession and have been working on our touches.”

Lopano said teamwork has been the key to improving in those areas.

“We work well as a team,” Lopano said. “We have been working on our defense, connecting with the midfield and the midfield connecting with the offense. That’s been our main goal and I think we are having some success.”

Lopano does all she can to make sure that the defense is able to have success. Being a sweeper, Lopano’s role on the team is vital because she is the last person that can stop the ball before it gets to its senior goalie Emily Kaplan.

“I realize that it is a risky position and I realize I have to do everything I physically can to stop the ball or to delay the ball at least so the keeper has a better chance of succeeding,” Lopano said.

Lopano said Kaplan is a huge asset in goal because besides her ability to make saves, she also communicates with her teammates very well.

“She is pretty vocal,” Kaplan said. “She is very positive in the back.”

Another key player on defense is fellow senior co-captain, left defender Melissa Wagner. Lopano said that she feels a lot more comfortable in the back with Wagner on the field.

“On defense, we work hard and we are physical,” Lopano said. “We definitely all give our best effort. We try our hardest. We definitely realize that we’re the last resort.”

Up front, the Tigers have plenty of talent too. Two of their key offensive players are junior forward Caity Murray and senior co-captain, forward/midfielder Haley Clarke.

“Caity has really stepped up her game this year and Haley has pretty good touch on the ball,” Lopano said.

As far as sharing the captainship with Clarke and Wagner goes, it has been great according to Lopano.

“We all get along very well, we are also friends outside of soccer,” Lopano said. “We are all pretty close and are good at voicing opinions to each other and working things out.”

Lopano said that all three captains appreciate the fact that Cancellaro chose them to lead this year’s squad.

“We have a new coach this year so he has a lot of faith in us,” Lopano said. “He really went out on a limb in electing us three captains with no prior knowledge about our personality. We really realize that we are the faces of the team and we have to show leadership with the transition between coaches.”

The Tigers’ three co-captains will look to lead the team in its next match, Monday at 4:30 p.m. at Sleepy Hollow.

Lopano said the key to winning will be their possession game.

“When we play our possession game, we look really good and we really work as a team,” Lopano said. “That is our strength when we can do that.”