Press-Republican
---- — The only game the Chazy girls' soccer team lost all last season was 1-0 to Arkport in the NYSPHSAA Class D championship game.
That's how good the Eagles were in going 21-1 overall.
The bad news for Mountain & Valley Athletic Conference opponents is the defending champion Eagles return a solid nucleus from last year in 2010.
Willsboro and Elizabethtown-Lewis, which had a young team a year ago, both play in the same division as Chazy and are two of the teams looking to keep pace with the Eagles.
Chazy
The Eagles lost just five players off last year's championship team and will be geared towards more title honors this season.
Chazy has plenty of experience, with 12 players returning, and has added seven varsity newcomers, including two eighth-graders — Kinnan Latremore and Hannah Laurin — who are expected to start at midfield and forward, respectively.
Junior Katharine Tooke, who led the MVAC in shutouts last season, is solid in net.
Senior midfield standout Astrid Kempainen is entering her fifth year on the team and sophomore Megan Reynolds is a key defender at sweeper.
Senior Chelsea Guay and junior Caitlyn LaPier return up front, even though LapIer is out until the 14th with an injury.
Junior midfielder Kirsten Doran and senior defender Alexis Bushey will also be important to the team's success.
Elizabethtown-Lewis
The Lions expect to be a factor again with nine starters returning from a season ago.
Sophomore midfielder Emily Morris and sophomore defender Kylee Cassavaugh will need to control their positions.
Senior midfielder Ashley Canabush returns this season after spending her junior year in Maine and senior Jessika McGinn will also be back in the midfield.
E'town-Lewis has a very young front line with returning freshman Catherine Decker and freshman varsity newcomer Shanna Brooks.
Junior defender Clare Harwood, sophomore defender Sierra Wimett, sophomore midfielder Kirsten Ashline and freshman defender Lily Whalen are also returning starters.
The Lions are still a very young team, with two seniors, three juniors, eight sophomores and three freshmen.
Keene
Keene should be strong on defense with junior Emma Gothner, along with sophomores Hannah McCabe and Sadie Holbrook. Keene also had a solid midfielder in senior Jessica Caner.
Senior midfielder Kayla Hebert, junior striker Amanda Boyle and sophomore midfielder Megan Hall round out the returning starters.
The Beavers, who won the MVAC Division II and lost to Chazy in the MVAC championship game, are young and inexperience, however, especially in goal. There are two seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen on the roster.
Finding the back on the net of offense is also a team concern.
Westport
Of the 17 players who were on the Eagles' roster last season, 12 of those are back.
Westport is working hard and has great enthusiasm heading into a season that will be bolstered by the return of senior goaltender Molly Rascoe, who missed last year due to medical reasons.
Returning seniors include midfielder Christina Sherman, defenders Nancy Armitage and Aisleigh Frum, and forward Elizabeth Peasley.
The Eagles are young, including a returning freshman in midfielder Brendee Russell. There are five seniors, four juniors, five sophomores and two freshmen on the roster.
Willsboro
The Warriors lost five key starters off a team that had a solid season a year ago, but was overshadowed by Chazy in MVAC Division I play.
The play of the returning starters will be key and Willsboro will have its most experience at midfield.
Starters back for the Warriors include senior forward Megan Jaquish, senior forward/goalie Courtney Blanchard, junior midfielder Serene Holland, junior midfielder/goalie Hannah Bruno, junior back/forward Emily Sayward and sophomore back/forward Kyli Swires.
Willsboro expects to remain competitive despite the youth on the team.
Note: No forms were received from teams that are not included in the preview.
