The Indian Rivers girls’ soccer team is looking to take to the pitch this year with a sound mentality. Losing seven seniors to graduation — especially when those players secured the backfield — is never an easy task to cope with, but head coach Steve Kilby is hoping for the best and working with the talent he’s got.
Coastal Point photos • Jesse Pryor
The Lady Indians are hard at work practicing, trying to rebuild their defense, of which seven seniors left last year. IR will be attending a play day and hosting their own, and will have a few scrimmage games to tighten down a gameplan for the year.
“This year,” he said, “we are basically rebuilding our entire defense.”
Defensive anchor Kelly Jurusik, fullbacks Emily Hendrickson and Brooke Simmons, and goalkeeper Bethany Beck are among those leaving some vital cleats to fill this season.
“Were definitely looking to build from the back,” said Kilby. “That’s our main concern right now: Who’s going to assume those roles?”
This year, the Lady Indians will see six seniors back on the field.
“They’re solid,” added Coach Kilby, “so, hopefully, we can build around them.”
Deliberation began last week to establish the basis of the varsity team. The girls — both JV and varsity members — have been practicing behind the old Indian River High School, leading up to the season’s start.
“We’ll have a large JV squad,” said Kilby. I just want to make sure we have who we need at the varsity level. We have a real strong group of freshmen and some of those kids are going to be impact players for us.”
Kilby added that he expects returning players Marlena Schleifer and Michelle Giorgilli to help solidify the team in the midfield.
“We’ll also be looking for some strong leadership out of Sara Purdam,” he added. “I think she could be our ace-in-the-hole and we can really move her around.”
Taylor Mushrush helped out in goal last year and is the favorite contending for the keeper position for the 2008 season.
Coastal Point photos • Jesse Pryor
The Lady Indians will prepare for the Woodbridge play day, set for this Saturday, March 8, at 9 a.m. at Woodbridge. Next week, IR will follow up with a play day of their own, hosting 17 teams on March 15 at the River Soccer Club on Gum Road. Sussex Central, Cape Henlopen and Caesar Rodney will all be in the mix.
“We’ve got to put a defensive team in there,” said Kilby. “We’re not quite sure what we’ll do with what we’ve got. That’s something we’ll figure out. This Saturday and the next will go a long way to helping us figure out what we’re going to do with who we have.”
A few more scrimmages rounding out the month should give Kilby all the information he needs to be prepared for the season’s opener on April 1, hosting Dover.
Kilby looks to get right on track with the team, after falling in the first round of states last year to A.I. DuPont.
“We’ve got some things to work on,” he said, “but I’m looking forward to the season.”