Despite struggling in past season openers, the Kits expect a win when they travel to Lake Forest to take on the Scouts on March 17.
Last season the girls tied Lake Forest 0-0, and they fell to the Scouts 4-0 in 2012.
“We’ve been improving each season against them. Hopefully this season we will come out with the win,” said coach Maurizio Grillo.
The players agree that this year, those bad results will change.
“Lake Forest, the team we’ve started off with the past three years, will be a difficult team to play,” said senior Ryan Berkley.
“But I think we have a good chance of winning this year.”
Moreover, the squad understands that an early win against a solid team like Lake Forest will definitely build momentum.
“It would be great way to start our season by beating them,” said sophomore Alex Berkley. “It will hopefully encourage us to beat teams later on in our season like GBS and New Trier.”
The girls will also change their formation from a 4-4-2 to a more offensive 4-3-3.
“This new formation means we will be scoring more goals since there will be more forwards,” explained Grillo. “But with more forwards, we will have less people in the back so were going to have to defend more.”
The girls think that teams will be surprised with the switch as well.
Considering that only four seniors left, Grillo expects huge contributions out of returning players.
“I’m relying a lot on the returning core players,” added Grillo. “I’m excited to see the play of midfielders like Maureen Kerr, junior, and Alex Berkley, sophomore, goalie Olivia Post, junior, defender Becca Wagner, senior, and senior forwards Morgan Muno and Lydia Hoopingardner,” said Grillo.
After Lake Forest, the girls will travel to both Lakes Community and Loyola on March 20 and 29 respectively.
“I’m more concerned on Lake Forest first,” said Grillo.
With the girls ending the season with 12 wins, eight ties and only two loses last season, Grillo expects to see this success continue.