Lady Cougars Ready to Compete in Central League

Lady Cougars girls soccer team is ready to battle.

“The girls showed up to camp ready to go," head coach Nate Bantoe said. "We have the first week under our belt and they seem to get better and excited about it. We are young, but the majority of the girls have already had some varsity experience already.”

Entering his fourth season as the head coach, Bantoe knows that this season will be no easer than years past, as the Cougars play in the highly competitive Central League.

“You have to bring you’re ‘A’ game every time,” said Bantoe. “Every team is going to be competitive. You can’t take any team for granted. I think my girls learned that lesson last season.”

Last season, the Cougars showed flashes of brilliance, but couldn’t put it together during key moments in the game. Now, the Cougars want to prove to competitors that they can keep up and win games.

“Some of the teams are really good,” said senior center midfielder Maddy Lynch. “Conestoga and Strath Haven have always been pretty strong. You need a lot of heart to beat the tough teams in our league; I think we have it.”

Lynch along with senior Lexi Psenicska will look to control the offense. Juniors Megan Tronco, Stacey Porter and Lauren Notorfrancesco all have experience from last season.

Sophomore Aly Gormley will also be key to the Cougars success. She looks to continue her stellar play from last season, when she made the Central League second team.

“Collectively we work together,” said Bantoe. “We have a nice couple of freshmen coming up who should blend in very well as a team. As a group I think we are improving. We have more than one player who can have a breakout year.”

Sophomores Emily Verica, Emily Paulus and Autumn Spence were freshmen last season, but now officially have a year under their belts.

“We made a lot of mistakes as a young team last year,” said Bantoe. “We needed to grow as a team. I think we made some strides throughout the year. They didn’t get down last year and continued to battle.”

With a batch of younger players coming into the equation, the Cougars boast an athletic lineup this season that can cause havoc, if all goes according to plan.

“We are a very young team,” said Psenicska . “Making sure the younger ones understand the pace of the varsity game will be key.”

Springfield heads into this season with a different mentality that will help change the outcome of its contest. The Cougars open the season against the top teams in the Central League which will be a challenge early on.

“We need to walk into the game knowing that we have to compete,” said Bantoe. “If you walk into the game thinking you are going to lose, the chances are that it will happen. If any team is going to beat us, they are going to have to earn it. I think getting the girls to believe that will be a challenge.”

The goal is clear for Springfield as they head into the season opener in under a week.

“We want to have a winning season,” said Bantoe. “We haven’t had one in a few years. It is a very lofty goal with how tough the competition is in our league. We are such a young team that our next step is to try and make the playoffs.”

The Cougars seem to be making the right steps; only time will tell if they will reach their goal.

Springfield Lady Cougars Facts

Coach: Nate Bantoe- (fourth season)

Last Year: 6-12

Key Players: Senior midfielder Maddie Lynch, senior midfielder Lexi Psenicska, junior defender/midfielder Megan Tronco, junior goalie Stacey Porter, junior Lauren Notorfrancesco , sophomore defender Aly Gormley, sophomore forward Emily Verica, sophomore defender Emily Paulus, sophomore defender/midfielder Autumn Spence

Games to Watch: Sept. 2 , Sept. 8 Haverford High School, Sept. 13 at Harriton High School.

Springfield Lady Cougars Schedule:

Sept. 2      Cardinal O'Hara 10 a.m.

Sept. 8      Haverford 7 p.m.

Sept.13     at Harriton 7 p.m.

Sept.15     Strath Haven 3:45 p.m.

Sept. 17    at Archbishop Prendergast 3 p.m.

Sept. 20    Conestoga 3:45 p.m.

Sept. 22    at Penncrest 3:45 p.m.

Sept. 24    at Great Valley 10 a.m.

Sept. 27    Marple Newtown 3:45 p.m.

Sept. 29    at Pope John Paul II 4 p.m.

Sept. 30    Archbishop Carroll  3:45 p.m.

Oct. 3       Garnet Valley 3:45 p.m.

Oct. 5       at Upper Darby 3:45 p.m.

Oct. 11     at Ridley 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 13     Radnor 3:45 p.m.

Oct. 18     at Lower Merion  3:45 p.m.

Oct. 20     at Interboro 3:45 p.m.