HSMSE girls' soccer outlook for the 2015 season

The HSMSE girls’ soccer team won the PSAL B division championship in 2014, but questions surround the team repeating its success as they move to the A division in 2015.

 

HSMSE Girls Varsity Soccer Team / PSAL

The team winning the championship was a very impressive feat by itself, but it is even more impressive because of the small school size. There are approximately 450 students that attend HSMSE.  Not only did the team win the championship, but they also dominated the regular season by going undefeated.

The team will try to repeat its overwhelming success when they move to the Manhattan A Division next season. This move comes with a lot of hard work and dedication, as the girls must respond to the higher level of competition; however, Coach Zafonte is confident in the team, citing past experience and the team’s talent as strengths.

“We have been in the A Division before, so we can expect the faster level of play,” Zafonte said. “ I think we have a lot of talented players who can compete.”

The expectations for the upcoming season are still very high despite the team moving up in the competition. Coach Zafonte does not set expectations that revolve around results, but more so around the effort and intensity the team plays with. This is not the first time the team has been in the A division, which means that they know what to expect and they know how to prepare for the upcoming season.

The preparations that Coach Zafonte are making for the upcoming season have not changed drastically. She plans to have the team do a lot of conditioning and workouts with the team to help prepare for the faster pace of A division. The girls’ team will need this conditioning because they will not be able just outrun their opponents like they have been able to do in B division.

Another challenge Zafonte is facing with the upcoming season is the loss of five seniors. This will leave only 13 returning players for the upcoming season, leaving the team to rely on a strong freshman class of players for the upcoming season.

Co-author Michael Stern.