Season Preview: Girls Soccer

The Niwot High School girl's soccer season is now upon us, with the first game coming this Thursday, March 9, against Centaurus High School.

The team is coached by Niwot High School boy's soccer coach Stephen Dimit, who is serving as interim coach for the season after the resignation of former coach Jenna Machado due to growing family demands. Dimit's assistant coach will be veteran coach Brett Butrick.

In describing the team, Dimit said "The team has set goals of really intensifying our style of play and being a fast, disciplined team. We hope to play a fast and entertaining style of soccer this season. We have a lot of younger players coming into an older team this year, so our expectations are about building a strong team chemistry and creating a positive image and identity for Niwot Soccer. We are excited to create a fun and competitive atmosphere at the new field this season."

The "new field" is the lighted artificial turf football-soccer field at the high school, which first came into use last fall when the football and boys soccer program played on it.

With the season starting, the roster has been set with 19 girls from all four grades on the varsity squad. A strong returning senior class consisting of midfielder/forward Mia Dumler, forward Alex Boyer, midfielder Tiffany Yie, defender Sophia Guglielmi, forward Martha McCarthy, defender Kaia Johnson, midfielder/defender Caroline Tusek, and defender Alyssa Crow will provide veteran leadership.

Juniors Paige Russell, Margaux Boyer, Sami Sessa, Menbere Sullivan, and Evelyn Hess provide an additional veteran presence. Sophomores Madison Ackerman, and Victoria Villavicencio, and freshmen Heather Humphrey, Mariah Fletemeyer, Eleanor Boyer, and Rylie Fletemeyer round out the team.

Last season, the Cougars finished with 8-8 on the season, and 7-2 in league games, leading to a ranking of 34th in division 4A and a playoff berth. Niwot lost in the first round of the playoffs to fourth-ranked Palmer Ridge High School, a team they had played in the season's second game.