Before state Group AAA runner-up Cosby considers the defense of its Central Region girls soccer championship, the Titans have more pressing business.
"We need to make sure that we get out of the Dominion District, filled with plenty of good teams, before we begin to look into the Central Region," Cosby's second-year coach Roger Lattimer said.
The Titans began the new season with a 2-1 road victory over Dominion rival and region contender Midlothian, No. 1 in the preseason top 10.
"We had a great start, but it is too early to start looking to the end of the season," Lattimer said. "We have a young team, and we have a lot of team goals that we need to meet before we start thinking about who is the favorite."
The Titans lost a couple of players from last year's squad: state and All-Metro player of the year Becca Wann and goalkeeper Nikki Pond, who transferred to Matoaca. But nine starters, led by all-state and All-Metro midfielder Joy Grove and second-leading scorer Courtney Hook, are back. Sophomore Jayden Metzger, a defender, scored both goals against Midlothian.
Last year's region runner-up, Thomas Dale, made it to the state tournament for the first time. The Knights did it quietly, but eight starters, led by sweeper Hannah Robbins, return and Dale could be in the spotlight at the end again.
Keep an eye on Deep Run. The Wildcats have first-year co-coaches Brooke Roney and Nicole Marks and some young players, but they also have senior captains Emma Newins (goal keeper) and All-Metro first-team defender Chaney LaReau in the lineup.
Newins, who has signed with Georgetown, missed last season because of an injury. LaReau, headed to the University of North Carolina, is a much-decorated volleyball player.
"We have been impressed by Chaney's leadership, and we are very happy Chaney decided to play her senior season," Roney said. "Emma is healthy and playing her best soccer right now. We have high expectations for our players and our season. There are a lot of great teams out there. We want to compete with all of them."
Capital District
Atlee: After a 12-0 district record in 2010, the Raiders return a solid core, led by double-digit scorers Kim Glymph, Ashley Riefner, Sam Armentrout and Lindsay Wilkins, up front and in the midfield. Coach Bruce Lovelace is rebuilding the back, including breaking in a new keeper.
Hanover: Defense and experience will be at the heart of the Hawks' efforts. With a freshman keeper in Caroline Crowder, the Hawks will look to seniors Nicole Shelton, Maria Piccolomini and LeeAnne Kesler for leadership. Coach Whitney Harpold's squad also will work on creating better shooting opportunities.
Lee-Davis: The Confederates' leading scorer for the past two seasons, Yoella Lopez, tore her ACL and is out for the season. Coach Brad Dalton is looking to all-region midfielder Liz Donnini and seniors Ashley Oswald and Sarah Wright for experience and leadership. Defense will be a bright spot for Lee-Davis with juniors Alissa Kelly and Nicole Kirkwood and keeper Megan Dover returning.
Henrico: A new coach, Jordan Flower, is at the helm. The Warriors are strong in the back with seniors Teresa Danso-Danquah, Caitlin Secrest and Casey Smith.
Varina: The Blue Devils have good, young talent coming up from the middle schools, but they lack varsity game experience. Four juniors — Rachel Fletcher, Jordan Hanford, Harley Hicks and Brigette Wendel — form the team's foundation.
Highland Springs: Shawn Pickett takes over as the Springers' coach, and he has a lot of new players. Senior sweeper Tyshawn Johnson leads a fast and athletic team. Starting keeper Brittany Purnell, a senior, earned the spot although she is new to the game.
Central District
Thomas Dale: The Knights are loaded with offense, and the defense is solid with Robbins. A huge plus for coach John Kabler's squad is speed. Thomas Dale lost its keeper to graduation, but the Knights have offensive standouts Sarah Schrader, Sarah Hawes and Regan Flores up front and in the midfield and could repeat their run to the state tournament.
Matoaca: Last year's Central District player of the year, keeper Abbi Elbaum, departed, but the Warriors' new keeper is transfer Nikki Pond, who helped Cosby finish as the state runner-up in 2010. Freshmen Jennifer Burdick and Shannon Price look to bolster a Warriors lineup stacked with seven returning seniors.
Prince George: Coach Kendall Warren's team finished second in the district last year, and seven starters are back. With first-team all-district representatives Krystin Treglown, Dallas Smith and Valerie Belcher and second-teamer Angela Gerard in the lineup, the Royals will be in the hunt again.
Hopewell: Coach Rae Harvey's Blue Devils will be young even with six returning starters. Team chemistry and familiarity shouldn't be an issue. Taylor Dail, one of the school's best female athletes, provides experience in goal.
Colonial District
Deep Run: A solid defense with LaReau and Newins is a good mix with the offense provided by junior Brittany Entz at striker and Alexa Morin (Sr.), Kelly Siewers (So.) and Laura Dobbs (Jr.) in the middle. The Wildcats will be aggressive and play fast.
Mills Godwin: The Eagles have a strong, senior-dominated starting lineup featuring forward Sarah Bellotti and first-team All-Metro midfielder Ellen Upton. This senior leadership will be crucial for coach Ali Toole's squad as new players learn the Eagles' way.
Patrick Henry: The Patriots return nine starters, led by forward Rachel Hoar. Coach Billy Farmer's team has significant depth and experience and could have a say in the outcome in a tough district.
Douglas Freeman: The Rebels bench is deep, and eight starters are back. Alex Clagett gives them a keeper with experience. Sophomore Liz Ahrens and senior Katrina Spinner-Wilson were second-team All-Metro and look to bump up their stats in the goals category.
J. R. Tucker: The Tigers come into the new season looking to build on what was a very young team. Coach Sarah Rutherford is counting on her seniors and sophomores among the nine returning starters for experience and production.
Hermitage: Coach Michael Hundley moved up to the varsity this year for the Panthers. He inherited a team with six starters returning. Many of them are seniors who can provide leadership and stability.
Maggie Walker GS: Ian Kelley's Green Dragons are led by high-scoring striker, junior Alex Pinkleton, and senior midfield standout Cassie Turnage.
Dominion District
Cosby: Filling Wann's shoes by sharing the load could make the Titans a stronger team this season. Senior Kelsey Conyers is another stalwart in the midfield, and Kelsey Blum (senior) and Stephanie Sacco (junior) head a stingy defense. Keeper Blayne Fink knows the ropes even though she's just a sophomore.
Midlothian: Seniors Kristen Hancock, Erica and Sarah Putney and Gabby Urcia and junior Katie Venck are the heart of coach Cammie Ward's Trojans. Venck is the top returning scorer. The Trojans have younger players who will contribute. The offense will be fast and strong.
James River: Coach Anna Tsinronis's Rapids had little turnover from 2010, losing only two starters and returning eight. Allison Bortell is looking to make more waves in the district this season after scoring 16 goals a year ago. Keeper Ellen Forrest is the lone senior in the lineup.
Monacan: The Chiefs, coached by Anne Rieser, have seven returning starters and own an early-season victory over Mills Godwin. Senior forward Sydney Lenhart was first-team all-district last year. The Chiefs are strong in the back with Christina Martin and Kala Riester.
Clover Hill: The Cavaliers enter the season with five players returning. New coaches Carter Blair and Rob Ukrop are well-known in the local soccer world. They will field a young team led by midfielder Megan Conklin and defender Meghan Musgrove, both juniors.
L.C. Bird: Coach Paul Wilmoth's squad, which has six returning starters, looks to be strong with possession and team speed as well as aggressiveness. What could hurt L.C. Bird is a new keeper and no real proven goal scorer.
Manchester: The Lancers have a new coach, Cassie Perino, and a young team. The only senior is defender Avery Spence. Juniors Megan (midfield) and Lizzie (forward) Weast lead the attack. Kat Al-Mateen and Nicole Lee could share net-minding time.
Others
Collegiate: The Cougars have a strong nucleus returning from last year's state championship team, but coach Bill Rider will have to integrate new players into the midfield and defense. The Cougars will have a new keeper, too. Ellie Sullivan, a sophomore who missed last year because of an injury, is one of the newcomers to watch. Seniors Julia Sroba and Meredith Donahue and sophomore Jennie Sroba know what's expected.
St. Catherine's: Coach Laurie Marshalek's squad has nine starters returning. The Saints have a young and inexperienced defense but are speedy from front to back, and their midfield should give other teams' defenses match-up issues. Emma Ruffin (13 goals) and Amanda Kim (eight goals) are talented midfielders.
St. Gertrude: The Gators have eight starters returning. Team speed and experience are the stabilizing factors for first-year coach Michael Gill.
Trinity Episcopal: First-team all-state pick Michelle Gibbons is the leading returning scorer (18 goals) in the LIS. Goalkeeper Jessica Addison is a three-year starter and all-state first-teamer, but she tore an ACL in July and is still on the shelf. The Titans, with 17 juniors and seniors on the roster, need another proven scorer.
Goochland: The Bulldogs have a number of new faces this season. Three starters return for coach Tom Reid, who says team chemistry and learning to play with each other will be the focus.
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