H-H Soccer Teams Carry Experience Into Promising 2011 Seasons

2011 SCHEDULES: BOYS l GIRLS

Soccer demands chemistry. The players on each team must know where each other is, and must trust where each will be. Developing 11 players into one team takes time.

Both the Hatboro-Horsham varsity soccer teams have spent that time, and both believe they may enjoy the fruits of their labor this fall. Both varsity soccer seasons are just around the corner, and there is plenty of optimism for both programs.

Building On Momentum

The H-H girls made major strides in the second half of last season, winning six of their final seven games before losing a tightly contested 1-0 playoff game against Unionville.

With only one senior having graduated from the 2010 team, head coach Ben Winderman hopes that many of the lessons learned from that season will carry right into 2011.

“The game is based on communication and trust,” Winderman said. “It doesn’t feel like we’ll be starting from scratch.”

H-H wasn’t even starting from scratch last season. Two seasons ago, Winderman played seven to eight freshmen on a team that went 7-11 overall and was in the bottom half of the Continental Division.

Last year, the Hatters made an important jump forward. The team won 11 games, went 8-5-1 in the division and jumped into the top three, which had been foreign territory for far too long.

“We finished with a lot of momentum last year, but we need to improve on general consistency,” Winderman said. “We were a little immature last season, so some days we didn’t show up. We need to find ways to win when we don’t play our best.”

With greater experience this season, Winderman hopes for more consistency. All-league senior midfielders Carly Black and Kellie McGoldbrick, both of whom will be playing Division I soccer next year, will be among the key leaders for the Hatters.

As Winderman looks to build the foundation of a winning program, he knows that the team needs to continue moving forward. Staying among the top three in the Continental Division is an important goal, and it would come at the expense of strong programs like Central Bucks South, Central Bucks West and Pennridge.

H-H got its first wins against both C.B. South and C.B. West last season, and it will be looking for its first over Pennridge this season, including an Oct. 10 home game against the Rams.

The Hatters’ earliest test of the season will come in its first game, when they meet the same Unionville squad that eliminated H-H from the 2010 postseason. Hatboro-Horsham will host the game Sept. 2 at 10 a.m.

Third Time’s A Charm

Boys soccer head coach Kyle McGrath enters his third season as head coach, and he’s got a senior class that has made a big impact on the program since he took over.

With a strong sophomore class during his first year at the helm, McGrath saw the opportunity to build for the future. In the first season, the Hatters went 5-9 in the Continental Conference; last year, the team went .500.

With nine returning starters, the majority of whom will be seniors, McGrath thinks there is potential for a special season in 2011, which begins Sept. 3 at Boyertown. The home opener will be Sept. 7 against Quakertown at 3:30 p.m.

“At the end-of-year meeting last year, the guys were motivated,” McGrath said. “They played club soccer, they worked individually and in the weight room. I was pleased with how the players progressed individually last year. As a team, though, I felt we fell a little short at times.”

Most of the struggles came on the offensive end. While the team allowed about one goal per game, improved finishing would go a long way in sending H-H to the top half of the conference standings.

The healthy return of senior Ryan New should help the offense this season. Hampered by injury throughout 2010, New scored only once for the Hatters. He could pair up with classmate Chris Russomano, a first-team all-conference midfielder, to form a dangerous pair on the offensive end.

The defense will be led by senior Paul Haggerty, but like all areas of the team, McGrath expects the biggest strength of the program to come in the intangibles, especially chemistry and experience.

“There is a lot of experience on this team,” he said. “We return a lot of players who have played on varsity. The group is talented.”

That talent, bolstered by lessons learned in past seasons, will key the Hatters’ drive toward Continental favorites like Central Bucks East and Souderton. Of course, in this conference, there is no game that can be taken lightly.

“I think our league, top to bottom, is one of the best in the state,” McGrath said. “Every game should be tightly contested.”

In tight games, there is no substitute for experience.

And both H-H soccer teams will bring plenty of experience to the field this season.