Coaches: William Allgeier (head coach), Daniel Ramirez (assistant coach), Stephen Teal (assistant coach)

Top Returners: Madison Balkus (12), Annalise Glynn (11), Aspen Godbey (10), Kate Gong (10), Mia Ramirez (11), Elly Sweeney (12), Sophia Takaki (12) 

Top Newcomers: Kaia Tindukasiri (12)

Last Season: The Lady Lancers won the Orange County Winter Classic tournament and were also named the champions of the North Hills League. They won a CIF game for the first time in five years, but lost in the following round, ending with an overall score of 16-5-5 and a league score of 4-1-3.

Outlook: Following last season’s success, Allgeier said the girls soccer team enters the new season with familiar goals and a more difficult road ahead.

The head coach said the team’s main challenge this season centers on playing in a more competitive space within the Crestview League, while maintaining last year’s success.

“[The] goal for this season is to build on last season because last year was my first year with the girls all together,” Allgeier said. “I’m looking to build on the solid foundation we left off last year, win another league title and hopefully go further and further in CIF.”

Midfielder and forward Takaki said she also anticipates the new competition, but rather than seeing it as a difficulty, she feels enthusiastic about showcasing the team’s skills.

“I’m looking forward to the new league we’re in this year because the teams are going to be a lot harder competition than they were last year, so I’m excited to see how our team does against the teams with higher-level skill,” Takaki said.

With last season’s accomplished goal of winning a league title, the head coach said this year’s expectations extend even further. 

Building on his previous objective, Allgeier said he aims to win a league title or at least finish as one of the top three teams, winning as many CIF games as possible.

Despite moving into a more competitive league, the head coach said the players will continue to follow the same standards and overall team-centered strategy that contributed to last year’s success.

“We might have to play a little bit of a different brand of soccer as we are in a much higher and more talented league than last year, but we are sticking to the same plan and have the same core values and goals of last year,” Allgeier said.

Forward Tindukasiri, who has played soccer for around 11 years, also experienced a change in scenery as she transferred this year from Tustin High School, where she was a varsity team captain. 

Although the transition to a new position and environment was initially difficult, she said her team’s encouraging attitude helped her get settled in.

“We’re very tight-knit; everyone on the team is really loving and uplifting, and it’s a very different environment than what I came from,” Tindukasiri said. “It’s a much healthier environment for me to be in.”

Adding to Tindukasiri, center back Godbey said the team’s chemistry is strong, which in turn strengthens her motivation to improve in performance.

“[Our team chemistry is] very good, we’re all very close and everyone is nice and supportive,” Godbey said. “It encourages me to play better and try my best for my team.”

Tindukasiri said she previously struggled with leadership skills and having a positive mindset, making it difficult for her team to succeed. 

To manage these challenges, Tindukasiri said she set a personal goal of adopting a new mindset to apply both during practices and throughout the season.

“I’ll be able to [overcome these difficulties] by bringing a good attitude to practice,” she said. 

Allgeier said the four captains, Balkus, Glynn, Sweeney and Takaki, were selected based on their dedication and ability to reflect the standards of the team. 

“I decided on the team captains by how committed to the cause they are,” he said. “By committing to the cause, I mean committed to the program, our core values, how well they represent the program both on and off the campus [and] how talented [they are].”

As a leader alongside three others, Takaki said her main goal and role is to support her team members and emphasize the importance of learning from experience, especially the mistakes.

“My responsibilities, I would say, are to encourage everyone to make mistakes and grow from them,” Takaki said. “I am trying to encourage the younger players on our team to just step up and be leaders on the field.” 

The Lady Lancers lost their first league game 3-0 against Canyon High School on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at the Fred Kelly Athletic Stadium and lost their second league game 3-1 against Foothill High School on Thursday, Jan. 8, at home.

To prepare for the upcoming league game against Eldorado High School at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13, the head coach said the team will slightly change their strategy.

“After the first two league games, we saw a little bit different of what we can do to get more chances going forward, while also being very sturdy in defense,” Allgeier said.