MORGANTOWN – The University High School girls soccer team was one of the youngest clubs in the state of West Virginia a year ago, sometimes playing over 10 freshmen in a single game. The Hawks will once again be a younger side but with the experience of last year under their belt, head coach Graham Peace and his players are ready to improve on a 6-14 2022 record and take the next step towards becoming an established soccer program in the state.
“We are really excited to get back together again this season to be able to play,” senior captain Addison Spain said. “We all love it so much and we see a lot of potential in the team this season and are eager to get on the field and see the growth that can happen.”
Sophomore Kenya Huckaby and junior Montana Johannsen agreed with their teammate Spain, Huckaby mentioning that she is “just ready to get back out on the field and play”.
“One thing that’s always exciting about the beginning of the season is seeing how everyone improved from last year,” Johannsen said before a scrimmage on Thursday. “Also seeing some of the incoming freshmen that can make an impact on the team and what they have to offer. It’s always fun.”
Peace said that while a younger roster brings a challenge to the team, the room to grow and learn makes for a fun season.
“A young team can overcome a lot if they come together and play as a team,” he said. “You can win games if you win as a team, and I think we can do that. We may not have as much talent as some of the other teams in the state but I can bet that we will play as a team just as well as they do.”
“You’re going to have ups and you’re going to downs no matter who you are,” he continued. “It’s about making sure we don’t get too up and too down when those happen and that we keep our composure.”
The Hawks will open their season at home against Madonna on Wednesday, Aug. 16. They will then hit the road for three straight games, the first against Brooke. The next two will be against Parkersburg South and Linsly, two strong sides.
UHS will travel to defending state champion and rival, MHS on Sept. 12 for the annual Mohawk Bowl matchup.
“I’m looking forward to a very exciting year,” Peace said. “I’m thrilled to see everybody that’s back, we have some good freshman coming in and this year and over the coming years, I think you’ll see some great things out of this group.”
