With the regular season quickly fading into the history books soccer teams all over Section VI are preparing for the final week of the regular season where they look to shore up loose ends and make that final push before the win-or-go-home pressure of the post season.
For Hannah Crouch, in her first season coaching the North Tonawanda Lady Jacks, things are looking pretty good as that last week approaches.
“Yeah I’m proud of them. I think we’ve had a really good year,” said Crouch, whose team is 10-4 overall. “We’ve played really well as a team, and we’ve got to keep this momentum going forward and get ourselves going for sectionals.”
Crouch said the focus will be on the simple things like daily preparation and staying focused. Crouch will be looking to her captains-seniors Samantha Hanes and Morgan Barone as well as sophomore Bridget Wilson, to keep the team focused.
“I think we’ve just got to keep our head(s) up and keep going,” senior Sydney Schaefer explained.
“Coach Crouch has really been helping us develop throughout the season and I really think we’ll have a good shot in sectionals.”
The Lady Jacks have also benefited from an influx of talented freshmen including Elizabeth Ambrusko, as well Macey Gioeli and Bella Finley, who join Hanes as the top three scorers on the team.
“I’m really proud of these young girls,” said Crouch. “They have so much heart and they just come out and they play their hardest every single day. And I know I can count on them to give 110%.”
Finley says that she and the other underclassmen are just happy to contribute in anyway possible and that the only goal is team success.
“I think when we all started out together It was mostly getting to know (each other) because a lot of us are new. Just getting to know the older players,” said Bella Finley.
“But as the season has gone on we’ve just worked together so well. One touch going through, give-and-goes, shooting on net…We’re all working together as a team like we should be.” With seven freshmen and an eighth grader on the opening day roster there was obviously questions of how would these young girls hold up and react to the grind of a varsity season.
Clearly they have all been up to the challenge.
“Nobody on the team is known just as a freshman or an underclassmen,” said Schaefer. “We’re all the same level. The pace of the game is so much different when they’re out there with us. I don’t know what we’d do without them.”
Finley said a big reason why the younger players like herself have been able to step up right away and give quality minutes is because they feel so comfortable and welcomed on the team. Sometimes, older players can get jealous, shun or even try to intimidate younger players if they are losing playing time to them. Finley said knowing that they have the support of their older teammates gives them a peace of mind and enables them to play at their best and do more for the team.
“I think that when the captains talk before the game and all the older players, they just give you a positive energy on and off the field that you’re ready to face even harder teams like Wheatfield and Grand Island,” Finley said. “Because you know that you have people there supporting you. Playing with you no matter what good or bad.”
Feeling as one on and off the court will no doubt play a big role as the Lady Jacks made their bid for a sectional title.
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