Things will look different for Woodrow girls soccer
Aug. 11—Coming off its second straight sectional championship, the Woodrow Wilson girls soccer team isn't exactly in rebuilding mode, but things will look different.
Coach Julie Agnor will have to replace four seniors who all played significant roles in the team's success over the last two seasons.
Gone are keeper Ally Arthur, midfielders Maddy Lanna and Sophie Hall and defender Sydney Vaught. Vaught was a second-team all-state selection while Lanna and Hall were honorable mention.
"They were my center of the field," Agnor said. "They moved the ball. ... The thing of it is, even though they were central players, my entire team knew how to pass. When your entire team knows how to pass, it's a little easier to move them into those positions."
That's where things will be altered.
"The dynamic is going to change," Agnor said. "The formation is going to change to suit the players that we have. I think it should be really effective."
There is one other unexpected loss in personnel. Agnor said Mya Wooton will not play, instead spending her junior season playing travel soccer out of North Carolina. Wooton scored 17 goals and had a team-high 15 assists last season.
There has been some adjustment time, as to be expected, but Agnor is encouraged. She has already seen improvement since last week and said further learning time at Saturday's Kick-o-rama at Princeton should help with the transition.
Some veterans Agnor will rely on include Kyndall Dooley on the back line and Taylor Scott in the center. Both are seniors.
Striker Ama Ackon-Annan is back for her senior year. Last season she tied Hall for the team lead in goals with 19, second in assists (6) and second in points (44).
Agnor said her daughter Cassidy Agnor, a senior, and junior Izzy Umberger are learning the new formation.
"When you're used to playing wide and all of a sudden you're pulled in ... but those two are going to be fine," Agnor said. "They're strong passers, so they should be fine."
Faith Simmons joins the team as a striker this year.
"She and Ama should really play well off each other," Agnor said. "I'm looking forward to that."
Senior Meredith Hall is the left back who has been solid since her freshman year. Agnor said she might also see time in the middle but she really likes Hall and junior Lexi Scott on the outside because of their ability to control the ball and get open for passes.
Sophomore Mia Seiter will take over for Arthur in goal. Arthur, now playing at Glenville State, made 108 saves in 23 games last season.
Seiter was a utility player last season, lining up wherever Agnor asked.
"She's very reluctant but she's very talented," Agnor said. "It's hard to fill the shoes of Ally. She prefers the field play, and I understand that. But I also know that her talent in the goal is very, very strong. Just keeping her focused and confident, she will be completely fine."
As far as defending those two sectional titles, the Flying Eagles will get a handle on postseason seeding right off the bat. Four of their first five games are at home, including sectional opponents Oak Hill (Aug. 22), Greenbrier East (Aug. 24) and Princeton (Aug. 29).
The only option is to win.
"We fight hard, but we play smart," Agnor said. "I think that's the key. When you play smart and you move right, you'll be fine."
The season will start at home Thursday against Herbert Hoover, kicking off at 6 p.m.
