Team sets sights on first appearance in postseason tournament

By Jack Nicas

After four years of grooming the current squad, Coach Jason Lenicheck believes this is the year for the Somerville High School girls soccer team. ‚ÄúFor the first time in the history of the program,‚Äù he said, ‚Äúwe’d like to make it into the end-of-season tournament.‚Äù

After a slow start and an injury to goalkeeper Molly Tyler last season, the team ended at 7-10-1. However, Lenicheck said the team worked hard and his expectations were met by “not only the on-field performance, but also the support for the program both internally and externally.”

Although the team lost former captain Bridgette Flores and fellow senior Gabriela Stern with the class of 2008, the majority of the starters are returning a year wiser. This year’s seniors were freshmen when Lenicheck first took over the team in 2005.

Four seniors, six juniors and one sophomore are returning to be led by Lenicheck and his staff, second-year JV coach Jenna Wass and first-year varsity assistant coach Sabrina Trinca. Lenicheck said, “Each [coach] brings a specialty of focus that adds greatly to my own and makes the coaching staff much stronger.”

Lenicheck said his seniors, Ashleigh Thomas, Michelle Hagerty, Jill Liberatore, Leny Alfaro, and newcomer Shanice Reddick, make up an important core of his team and he hopes to send them off “with appropriate success considering all their effort.”

Thomas and Hagerty are the team’s captains, while Alfaro was second in the Greater Boston League with 12 goals and four assists last season and Liberatore is a ‚Äústandout defender and ideal teammate,‚Äù Lenicheck said.

The team employs an offense that “strives to use simple options to create attacking chances” and a “smartly applied team defense,” Lenicheck said. “I try to get my teams to play a disciplined, intelligent, and active game.”

The league departures of Arlington and Waltham, teams that went 14-1-1 and 10-4-2 respectively last season, bodes well for Somerville’s hopes of a tournament berth. However, Lenicheck sees the development in a different light: ‚ÄúWe’ve lost some great opportunities to test ourselves against high-quality opponents, which might wind up being a problem if the team achieves its goal of making it to the tournament.‚Äù

He said the team’s target is to finish no worse than second place in the five-team league, ‚Äúan appropriate place for a team seeking [postseason play].‚Äù

The team opened its season Monday night at North Quincy, a team Lenicheck said has been ‚Äútraditionally a very even match for us.‚Äù Behind Alfaro’s lone goal in the 16th minute, Somerville won 1-0. ‚ÄúA fine start to the season,‚Äù Lenicheck said.

That first win is just as significant as the final game of the season to Lenicheck. He said he couldn’t rank any game as the biggest of the season. ‚ÄúThey’re all important, and that’s not just ‘coach-speak,’‚Äù he said. ‚ÄúWe need to gain every available win, so it’s vital that we not squander any opportunities against the traditionally weaker opponents.‚Äù

The team will be tested again Wednesday as they battle Matignon High School at 6:00 p.m. in their home opener at Dilboy Stadium.

Whether or not the team’s aspirations for a postseason play out, Lenicheck said he at least hopes his major goal does: ‚ÄúTo have a program including two full teams of girls who are committed to giving their best effort every day.‚Äù

Returning Players:

Ashleigh Thomas – Senior – Midfielder
Team Captain
GBL All-Star

Michelle Hagerty – Senior – Defender
Team Captain

Jill Liberatore – Senior РDefender

Leny Alfaro – Senior – Midfielder
GBL All-Star
2nd in GBL with 12 goals in 2007

Alyssa Gagliardi – Junior РDefender

Jackie Conde РJunior – Midfielder
2nd Team GBL All-Star

Regina Lucreziano – Junior – Midfielder
Jenny Henrique – Junior – Forward
Alexis Fitzpatrick – Junior – Forward
Molly Tyler – Junior – Goalkeeper
Cassandra Marsden РSophomore – Midfielder

Newcomers:

Shanice Reddick—Senior
Michelle Connolly—Junior
Tayla Plett—Sophomore
Jessica Menjivar—Sophomore
Marrara Goncalves—Sophomore
Diana Marquez—Freshman