Groton girls soccer sets sights on special season

Last year saw a return to postseason success for Groton girls soccer. The Red Hawks hoisted the IAC championship for the first time since 2019. This time around, they’re hoping for even more success with a much larger and more experienced squad.

The Red Hawks are off to an excellent start with a 6-1-1 record, as of September 21. By far their most impressive performance came against Lansing, taking down the Bobcats 2-0 at home on September 17. It was the program’s first win over their Tompkins County adversaries since 2019, ending a four-game losing streak against Lansing.

“We came out with a lot of passion, with a lot of fight in us,” said head coach Jocelyn Lathers. “Sometimes we kind of come out slowly, and there’s been times where we’re like a second half team, that we don’t bring the fire initially… We really did come out with a lot of grit, determination, a lot of aggression right from the get-go.”

The Red Hawks are finding their stride after a slow start to the season where they won just one of their first three games. Lathers attributed this to having 24 players on the roster and not having the exact same chemistry they had last year.

“We did a lot of team bonding,” Lathers said. “We had frank conversations with each other, did some drills that built that communication. I think from there is where we started seeing the goals and the wins.”

The reason why there are so many players on this year’s team is because the Red Hawks have 10 seniors, the majority of whom are starters. Lathers thought ahead by keeping more players so that they’re prepared for next year. The non-seniors have rallied around the seniors to ensure that their final year is an unforgettable one.

“Since the end of last season, they kept saying to me, ‘This is it. This is our year,’” Lathers said. “They’ve just had that determination going into this season since the end of last year. It’s nice to see my younger girls like Stella Holl and Brooke Sovocool. They’re like, ‘This is their year. We’re doing this for them.’ It’s just a good feeling. We got to do it for these girls.”

Like last year, Groton’s strong suit has been at the back. Through their first eight games of the season, the Red Hawks have only allowed four goals and kept four shutouts. With junior Stella Holl in goal, seniors Jill Zigenfus and Lauren Gallinger as the center backs, and freshmen Violet Santspree and Carmen Bishop as the fullbacks, not much has gotten past that unit this year.

“I just can’t say enough about them,” Lathers said. “They vibe really well. Stella and Jill direct the team and come in and save the day when we need the ball cleared and it’s just not getting cleared. It’s such a relief to not have to worry about that, because you can’t lose games if they can’t score. If they’re scoring, we’re losing, and that’s not happening. It’s nice to be able to count on them so much.”

The midfield has been valiantly led by senior and reigning IAC North Small Division MVP Devyn Blasz. Her guidance has allowed fellow senior Diella Nino and sophomore Remi Marshall to thrive alongside her in such a vital part of the pitch.

“I think last year they depended on her so much, and now I’m starting to see Remi and Diella become their own person,” Lathers said. “They’ve learned enough from her that now they can become the shining star, as well.”

The attack has a bit of a different look this season. The senior duo of twin sisters Bailey and Riley Vliet are still flanking the wings, but eighth grader Truth Snyder completes the attacking trio. She has grown in confidence with the Vliet sisters right by her side.

“They direct her really well,” Lathers said. “I think their assertiveness on the field pushes her to be more assertive. [Since] she’s an eighth grader, you’re always worried, are they going to be able to come out and compete against varsity level athletes? And I don’t feel like that’s ever been an issue for Truth. So now [it’s] just having them help her kind of settle in.”

Not only is Groton aiming to successfully defend its IAC title, it also wants to make a deeper run in sectionals after being knocked out in the quarterfinals last year. With a talented senior-laden squad, the sky’s the limit for these soaring Red Hawks.

“I just think of this year as a perfecting year,” Lathers said. “We don’t need those chemistry pieces, or the passing pieces, or this or that. It’s just perfecting now. So if we can keep working on that, I’m hoping for that IAC title again.”