Webutuck Warriors Open Soccer Season

Webutuck has opened the varsity soccer season at 3-1 in league and 3-2 overall, including the win at Rhinebeck that puts them at 1-0 in the all-important divisional race for the sectional playoffs.

The Warriors began with a 2-1 win over Ellenville and a 3-1 league victory at Rhinebeck, then dropped a 1-0 game to Dover, defeated Pine Plains 5-2 in a league match, then lost the 8-1 league match Wednesday at home to Highland.

Webutuck plays in the MHAL, the Mid-Hudson Athletic League, with all of the A, B and C Schools mixed together and playing each other in the league competition.

The teams then play only schools of the same size in the sectional playoffs. The games among Class C Schools Webutuck, Millbrook and Rhinebeck are what determine the qualification for the sectional playoffs.

“We were 10-6 last year, playing all of the A, B and C Schools,” said coach Mark Moren after the Highland game. “In our division we were 4-0 playing the teams from schools that are our size, Millbrook and Rhinebeck, 2-0 against each school. We beat Tri-Valley on our field and went all the way to the sectional finals, where we lost to Tuxedo in the Sports Dome in Milton. We have not won the Section Nine Championship yet, but we have been there in the finals each of the last two years. All of the MHAL Championship games and the sectional finals are played in the dome over in Milton, across the river from Poughkeepsie.”

Moren liked a lot about the Warriors’ effort in the 8-1 loss to Highland:
“This was a very good game for our girls to play that kind of a physical style, because they haven’t played like that against other teams. Now that they know they can do that, when we play against teams we are better matched against in size and skill, hopefully we will still play that same way. Some of the girls tonight really grew up as players, and that can only help us. Out of the 19 girls on our team, only eight are returning players, and everybody else is a brand new player to the team. They stepped up and played hard against a really high quality team. Highland has a very strong program, and they win the sectional championship every year.

“Amanda Pelkey is new this year in goal. She has really stepped it up, and she had a phenomenal game for us tonight against Highland. She made some outstanding saves for us, and I made a point of telling her that after the game.

“Lauren Trotter scored for us with about ten minutes left in the game. She intercepted two passes from their keeper late in the second half. She didn’t quite score on the first one, but the second time, she scored on a very nice shot. She has very good touch on her shot on goal.

“It was not good towards the end of the game. The first half wasn’t too bad. We were only down 2-0. Then they scored a couple of quick goals in the second half. We came back and scored to make 5-1, which wasn’t too bad. Then things came apart, with the three goals scored against us at the end. I told the girls after the game, when it was 5-1, I was okay with that. I just thought we kind of let down to let the last three goals in. I wasn’t real happy about that, but up until that point, I thought they really played Highland pretty well.”

The returning starters for coach Mark Moren are captains Colleen Trainor, Lauren Trotter and Jaime Laliberte, plus Kayla McGill, Katelyn Cullinan and Danielle Fontaine. The remainder of the 2007 roster includes Tara Howard, Betty Aldana, Lizett Pajuela, Keely McCaffrey, Amanda Pelkey, Ana Reyes, Marlene Aldana, Madison Marshall, Brielle Williams, Katie Ruppel, Carissa Dahoney, Alicia Flinn and Gianna Murtaugh.

The varsity is coach is Mark Moren, the JV coach is Trisha Casler, and the modified coach is Morgan Mesa.

“The starting lineup may change a little, but our usual starting lineup would be Amanda Pelkey in goal, sweeper Jaime Laliberte, stopper Keely McCaffrey, right defensive back Kayla McGill, left defensive back Brielle Williams, center midfielders Lauren Trotter and Katelyn Cullinan, outside midfielders Danielle Fontaine and Tara Howard, and strikers Colleen Trainor and Katie Ruppel,” Moren said.

Fans who want to see some critical games should look ahead about a week, and as Moren said, “Coming up on September 21st, we play a divisional game against Rhinebeck, and that is a huge game for us, because that is within our division, and we need to win those games. The following Wednesday, we play Millbrook at home, and they are another divisional team, so those are some big games. If we go on to play in the sectionals, those are the size schools that we play.”

As to a possible rematch with Highland, Moren said, “The only time we could meet Highland again, which is very possible, is the MHAL Division III & IV Championships that are played before the sectional playoffs. We have won our division the last four years. The last two years, we have gone to that game and played Highland, because they always win Division III. So, we could possibly meet up with Highland again. Our girls know that, and they are okay with that. Our girls would not shy away from them. They would like to meet Highland again in the dome.”

Like all team sports, soccer is about every member of the team knowing her role, and all of the team working together with solid team camaraderie. With the annual turnover on a high school team, development of the team ethic is always a priority.

“I think our girls are having fun,” Moren said. “We have all these new kids, and once that clicks in, everything will pick up and we will be fine. I think they could be a little bit more comfortable with each other on the field. I think once that happens, that trust will be there, trust of knowing someone will be there, and then you will stay in your spot instead of moving into theirs. Some of that stuff will have to click a little bit better. It is probably better that it is not clicking now, and hopefully it will click in later. They are working toward it.

“Our girls work very hard, and we all do expect to do well, the coaches and the players.

“Again, there were a lot of things that I talked with the girls about after the Highland game today that were very positive, even though we lost. The girls were very good about not arguing with each other today, and I was pleased to see that, because that happened to us in the Pine Plains game, and that game we were winning! The girls were playing very tough on the ball, some of the girls stepped up tonight and played some of their better games, and they have started to work better on the field as a team. They worked the ball better tonight and played better as a team. That is the thing, to get better with each game and be strong at the end of the season.”