After losing only three seniors to graduation, the Pirates are itching to top last year’s 19-win season and avenge last year’s loss in the South Jersey Group II championship game.
The seniors on this year’s Cinnaminson High School girls soccer have seen the program improve with each passing year.
After the Pirates won 12 games each in 2014 and 2015, Cinnaminson made a major leap forward in 2016, winning 19 games before falling short of a sectional championship after losing to Haddonfield Memorial High School in the South Jersey Group II final.
Now in their final season, the senior class is hoping to take one more leap forward and bring a championship home to Cinnaminson.
“We have to prove ourselves after how well we did last season,” senior Hailey Gutowski said.
Cinnaminson returns most of its starting lineup after losing just three players to graduation. Head coach Matt Digney said having a veteran group allowed the team to smoothly transition into the preseason.
“They understand what it’s about,” Digney said. “They understand me. Coaching-wise, I’m not starting over. I’m just picking up where I left off because they have a good, solid foundation.”
The players understand success won’t happen without effort. Senior Christine Bescript said the team had to work hard to win all of the games it did in 2016 and understands it will have to work even harder to top last season.
“We don’t want to exude too much confidence,” Bescript said. “We have to work just as hard as last year.”
Digney sees a sense of urgency and determination in his team this season, especially for the senior class.
“Last year was by far one of the best years we had,” Digney said. “But I think the past few years, we’ve been a little unlucky. We’ve lost some tough games, and coming into this year, it’s an all-in year.”
The ingredients are in place for Cinnaminson to be a contender again in 2017. Bescript and fellow senior Kellyn Weist will lead the Pirates defense this year. Cinnaminson’s strong defense was the team’s hallmark in 2016, as the Pirates shut out 17 opponents. Junior goalkeeper Maddie Ogden will also be back after having a breakout season in her first year as the starter in 2016.
Weist feels returning much of the defense helps with the team’s chemistry and allows the players to get in good shape during the preseason.
“It helps us play better together,” Weist said. “Everything is second nature.”
Cinnaminson prepared for the season with scrimmages against strong, large school programs. On Aug. 22, the Pirates travel to Eastern Regional High School for a tri-scrimmage against the Vikings and Jackson Memorial High School, two strong Group IV programs.
“We want to see what the bigger schools are doing, see how we match up with them,” Digney said.
“I think it pushes us more when we play the better teams,” Weist added.
The Pirates plan to be running on all cylinders as the season progresses later into autumn. This year, Cinnaminson doesn’t want to fall short of a title. Many of the players believe their team is talented enough to be a champion.
“We want to go all the way,” Gutowski said.
UPDATE: Entering their Sept. 15 home opener against Moorestown High School, Cinnaminson sported a record of 2–1. Their two wins were shutouts over Williamstown High School and Holy Cross High School.
