Why communication is Hendersonville girls soccer's most important skill
BREVARD -- Brevard girls soccer star forwards Nora Felty and Liz Goodwin had scored 21 and 19 goals, respectively, heading into its matchup with Hendersonville.
But thanks to the strong backline and goalkeeping play of the Bearcats, the dynamic duo was limited to two shots on goal.
Hendersonville received two goals from sophomore Mia Nitsche and freshman Addison Reid to upend the previously unbeaten Blue Devils 2-0 on April 9. It was the eighth consecutive win for Hendersonville after the team dropped its first two contests to Reynolds and West Henderson. The Bearcats extended the streak to eight on April 11 with a 9-0 romp vs. Patton.
“At first, we came in here so nervous,” senior defender Kai Clark said after the Brevard game. “But we really came in here and had a great mindset. We played at 110% and never gave up.”
How did the Hendersonville backline and goalkeeper slow down Brevard's top scorers? Communication.
Clark said the Bearcats (8-2) enter each game with three distinct goals. Against Brevard, they focused on 1) communication, 2) getting the first touch and 3) playing the feet.
Because of Hendersonville’s communication, the best chances for a Brevard (12-1) score came on corner and free kicks. Clark and coach Melissa Villars-Nitsche said that was critical in the victory.
“That’s really big in terms of communicating verbally,” Villars-Nitsche said. “But as well as with your eyes. You’ve got to know where your players are going and trust that they’re going to be in that spot.”
For example, she said midfielder Aubrie Retzbach did a great job of dropping back when Clark pressed forward on offense.
Communication has always been a key ingredient for Hendersonville.
“We always call it Bearcats soccer,” Villars-Nitsche said. “I’ve been with this program for seven years. It’s always Bearcats soccer. And we try to leave that everywhere we are.”
Freshman goalkeeper Eleanor Pavao didn’t have to make many saves against Brevard but made the stops when a Blue Devil had a shot on goal. Villars-Nitsche said Pavao has good hands but her communication skills are one of her greatest assets.
“I think that those two things together with just having a connection with the defense keeps us solid back there,” Villars-Nitsche said.
An important element in developing strong communication is chemistry. Hendersonville has that, too.
The Bearcats backline of Clark, Addison Adams, Stella Veach and Alayna Denny all return from a year ago.
“It just allows us to have that chemistry that new players may not be able to have,” Clark said. “But because we are returning, we’ve been able to build that up.”
To build chemistry, Hendersonville hosts several team-bonding events.
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Clark said the Bearcats bond by doing things like holding team dinners and going on runs in the rain.
Villars-Nitsche also said they like to complete service projects as a team, too. Recently, the team collected Easter items to give to 150 foster kids in Henderson County. Hendersonville plans to hold a youth night on Thursday.
“They’re gonna hang out with the young kids," Villars-Nitsche said. "They’re gonna show these kids what it looks like to be a Bearcat.”
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times and Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @zacharyahuber. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times and Times-News.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: How Hendersonville girls soccer has powered its long win streak
