Recorder area girls soccer teams had a lot of success last year.
The Bi-County League championship came down to the wire between Athol and Greenfield, with the Bears beating the Wave in a close battle to take home the league title outright. Greenfield got its revenge, however, taking down the Bears in the MIAA Div. 5 preliminary round.
Those weren’t the only playoff teams to come out of the Bi-County League. Despite having a young roster, Matt Killeen’s Pioneer team had an impressive season and earned a spot in the Div. 5 field. Franklin Tech was able to close out its regular season with a win and a tie to finish at .500 and also punch a ticket to the postseason.
Over in the Pioneer North, Frontier dominated its way to a league title by going an unblemished 10-0 and outscoring its league opponents 56-4 along the way.
It’ll be a different looking landscape this fall. The Redhawks are now competing in the Central Division alongside Hampshire, Monson, Southwick, Amherst and Granby, a league that should provide a step up in competition for a talented Frontier club.
Greenfield also moved up a league, as Ben Johnson’s squad will battle with Palmer, Hopkins, Easthampton, Holyoke and Chicopee this fall.
Athol, Franklin Tech and Pioneer remain in the Bi-County and will be joined by a Mahar squad that sees Chad Softic return as coach. Smith Academy and St. Mary’s round out the league.
“Our league is tough,” Franklin Tech coach Jason Butynski said. “Every game will be tough and hard fought which is a great thing.”
ATHOL
Coach: Tim Cleveland
League/Division: Bi-County/4
Last Year’s Record: 13-4-1, D5 prelims
Roster: Brielle McCorquodale, Stella Mason, Izabella Mallet, Cindy Amaya-Navarette, Ayzia Britt, Marjorie Leiva, Lily Lichtenberg, Adalyn Proctor, Mariangel Castillo-Urbina, Azaliah Seda, Lillian Cleveland, Avalyn Adams, Aliyah Choquette, Alauna Choquette, Serena Nkengafe, Hannah Cardoso, Maddisyn David, Angela Walker, Gracie Gauthier
Outlook: After winning the Bi-County League a season ago, Cleveland the Bears must replace four departed seniors but bring back a talented squad ready to repeat.
Walker and Gauthier are the two seniors while Cardoso and David are the returning juniors. The rest of the Athol roster is young, led by a sophomore class of Adams, Aliyah Choquette, Alauna Choquette and Nkengafe, all returning varsity players.
FRANKLIN TECH
Coach: Jason Butynski
League/Division: Bi-County/5
Last Year’s Record: 7-8-4, D5 prelims
Roster: Mady Lynde, Samantha Duncan, Shayly Martin, Alyssa Peters, Ariel Peters, Lindsey Taylor, Tristan Bliss, Kaelyn Mclean, Layla Hammond, Kim Ramirez, Cayleigh Aldrich, Carly Walsh, Isabella Liebenow, Faythe Sobieski, Payson Lynde, Indira Wiles, Melyn Ramirez
Outlook: A late season surge saw the Eagles reach the state tournament for the third year in a row last fall, and Butynski is hoping to make it four in a row this fall.
It was a defensive approach that got Tech to the postseason, as the club conceded just 21 goals on the season. To take the next step forward, the Eagles will need to find ways to put the ball in the back of the net themselves, having scored just 22 goals a season ago.
“You can compete when you give up roughly one goal a game,” Butynski said. “This group is tough defensively. I’d love for us to generate more offense.”
Taylor, a senior, is one of those players who will be looked to up front alongside Melyn Ramirez, Hammond and Aldrich.
Alyssa Peters is back in the midfield alongside Mclean, Walsh and Bliss. On defense will be Ariel Peters, Mady Lynde and Duncan, all seniors who bring valuable experience while Martin replaces Kylee Gamache in goal.
Sobieski, Payson Lynde, Wiles and Melyn Ramirez headline a talented freshman group.
“Our goal is to be competitive every time we step on the field,” Butynski said. “If the kids can look in the mirror and know they gave 100 percent effort, that’s been the goal since I took over. You win some, you lose some but you have to try your best. That message has been well received and the kids have been getting together and working a bit over the summer which was good to see.”
FRONTIER
Coach: Lauren Sullivan
League/Division: Central/4
Last Year’s Record: 14-6, D4 Round of 32
Roster: Addy Morrey, Maddie Fagan, Teagan Hale, Ashley Rivard, Kiera Korenewsky, Skyler Steele, Natalie Wells, Jazlynn Hayes, Adelaide Ehle, Laila Brown, Payton Rup, Kayla Fagan, Mara Allium, Sadie Nichols, Maggie Nichols, Calli Gifford, Arya Snir, Danica Kapcza, Kayla Tudryn, Abby Cenderowski
Outlook: The Redhawks were an offensive juggernaut last year, being held to under three goals just six times in 20 contests.
With a number of attackers back, don’t expect that scoring to slow down.
Fagan, a senior, leads the attack and enters the season six points short of reaching 100 in her career. Steele is another top scoring option up top.
Morrey, another senior, is an impact player who can play on defense or in the midfield while Jazzy Hayes returns in goal. Sullivan said she is excited about the talented freshman class, led by Allium, Gifford, Sadie Nichols and Maggie Nichols.
GREENFIELD
Coach: Ben Johnson
League/Division: Pioneer North/5
Last Year’s Record: 15-5, D5 Round of 32
Roster: Holly Babineau, Tayler Bergeron, Lexi Berry, Val Bzomowski, Elderina Cecunjanin, Annie Cobileanschi, Natalia Cody, Zephyr Jetzon, Addie Loomis, Sarah McCloud, Suhani Patel, Jennie Petcu, Autumn Pickup, Savannah Portier, Juliette Potee, H’Azayzel Rivera, Ella Rotkiewicz, Jalila Smith, Zerena Torres
Outlook: With just one senior graduated from last year’s team, expectations are high with the Wave this year.
Greenfield has plenty of players who can put the ball in the net, led by Cecunjanin who scored 25 goals a season ago and Bergeron, who finished with 19 goals and 13 assists. That duo will be tough for opposing defenses to stop.
Jetzon made a big impact as a freshman, bringing speed and playmaking up front.
Babineau will anchor the midfield in the center while Loomis has shown well on the defensive end during the preseason.
Cobileanschi, just a sophomore, returns for her third season as a starter in goal.
“With only one senior graduating, nearly the entire roster returns, giving us valuable experience and chemistry,” Johnson said. “For the third straight year, program numbers are climbing, providing depth in games and competition during practices, something the team hasn’t had in past seasons. That mix of experience, growth, and depth has the group focused on taking the next step in league, Western Mass., and state tournament play.”
MAHAR
Coach: Chad Softic
League/Division: Bi-County/5
Last Year’s Record: 1-13-2
Roster: Autumn Cleveland, Mackenzie Matthews, Stellina Moore, Cordelia Rhodes, Erin Parse, Lexi Murcell, Lexi Ares, Jenna Nolette, Aubrey Johnson, Lilah Paluk, Makayla Butler, Jaya McBroom, Addie Almeida, Island Burnham, Phoebe Merrill, Marley Partridge, Bella Kimball
Outlook: After a year away, Softic returns for his 14th season leading the Sens and will be looking to rebuild the program.
Cleveland is the lone senior and plays as a fullback while Moore, a junior, and Ares, a freshman, are returning players who had a big impact a season ago. With six freshmen and five eighth graders, Softic has a young core to build around for the future.
PIONEER
Coach: Matt Killeen
League/Division: Bi-County/5
Last Year’s Record: 9-6-2, D5 Round of 32
Roster: Kyler McClelland, Leah Potter, Maddie Keefe, Mystic Glenn, Esme Moran, Kyra Goodwin, Jaelyn Boliski, Maya Laprade, Lily Laprade, Maggie Tsipenyuk, Dasia Mitchell, Dzelila Cecunjanin, Amy VanDoren, Deveney Pillsbury, Brooke Welcome, Lillian May, Olivia Peduzzi, Lilliana Bordas
Outlook: Despite having a roster that was largely made up of middle schoolers last fall, the Panthers showed they were ready for the bright lights by punching a ticket to the state tournament. Now a year older, Pioneer will be looking to do even more damage this time around.
Potter, a three time captain, is back to captain the defense while Keefe returns up top as a scoring threat, having found the back 20 times already going into her sophomore year. Cecunjanin tallied eight goals as a seventh grader and is primed for a breakout year.
Boliski is the best facilitator on the Panthers while VanDoren and Pillsbury are coming off exceptional years in the midfield.
“We’ve gone from 17 to 22 to 27 players in our program over the last three years,” Killeen said. “With just one junior and one senior, those numbers will continue to grow. Last year we were 60 percent middle schoolers. Now it’s flipped to 60 percent high schoolers. With a strong 8-10 core full of emerging leaders and talent, a large group of promising seventh graders and beyond, we are looking to challenge for banners in the present and in coming years.”