High School Soccer Preview

New group leads Vets after big year

Posted 9/2/14

Sparked by a talented senior class and a move down to Division II last year, the Warwick Vets girls’ soccer team had a resurgent season, winning 10 games and reaching the D-II …

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High School Soccer Preview

New group leads Vets after big year

Posted

Sparked by a talented senior class and a move down to Division II last year, the Warwick Vets girls’ soccer team had a resurgent season, winning 10 games and reaching the D-II semifinals.

Repeating that will be a challenge for the ’Canes, as they lost 14 players from last year and are also in the midst of a coaching change.

Still, they’re upbeat, and they’re optimistic that maintaining their place near the top of the division isn’t too farfetched.

“The seniors and some of the juniors who have been on this team would like to see it continue,” said first-year head coach Keith Randall. “It was a really strong class we lost, but we have a lot of freshmen that are pretty strong and hopefully fill those spots.”

Randall, who was initially an assistant coach, takes over the job on a one-year basis after Fred Schweizer was granted a season-long leave of absence for personal reasons.

Randall is a math teacher at the school, so he knows a number of the players that way, and he’s also the head coach of the boys’ indoor track team at the school.

He’s inheriting a team that is trying to get up to speed quickly with only five seniors on the roster, and very little experience throughout.

“We just have to continue working together and get more into a groove,” Randall said. “We have to communicate and really work hard together. Just not giving up, and continuing the progress and getting better each week.”

At the head of the list of seniors are Sloan Kinney and Liz Gemmell, both of who were key contributors last year. They’ll play up front and in the midfield, and are expected to handle much of the scoring load.

Playing in the Warwick Vets Fall Soccer Tournament on Wednesday, they each scored a goal in an eventual 5-2 loss to Coventry.

They were certainly bright spots, and Randall was pleased in general with his team’s performance in the season-opening exhibition.

“A lot of good things happening,” Randall said. “We saw a lot of give and go’s, moving without the ball. We were happy with what they did.”

Paige Lepore is another returning senior, and she’ll help to anchor the defense, along with sweeper Abigail Paul, also a senior. The team’s fifth senior is Corinne Csoszor.

After that, though, it’s a lot of new faces.

“It’s a whole new team, basically,” Randall said.

In the back, junior Tara Medeiros and sophomore Karinne Medeiros are playing, as is freshman Morgan Lepore.

Lepore is one of five freshmen on the roster, along with Alexis LeBelle, Kaitlin Riddensdale, Autumn Provonsil and Haley Buchanan.

Other important players for the ’Canes are junior Carlie McPherson and sophomore Kat Raposo, each of whom will play forward. Junior Madison Silva and junior Emma Nason are expected to provide a spark of the bench.

In goal, Kendra Howard is handling the duties.

Also on the roster are juniors Lesa Hewitt and Alessandra Cerio.

It’s certainly been a growing process so far, but it’s also been trending in the right direction since the team began practicing over the summer. That strong work ethic, more than anything, gives Randall hope for the season.

“From day one, from the workouts they had in hell week, they really, really worked hard,” Randall said. “They wouldn’t give up. They just kept fighting at it.”

The season will begin in earnest this week, as Vets plays its first regular season game against the same Coventry team it played on Wednesday. That game is on the road, at 3:30 p.m.

After that, the ’Canes will host Moses Brown on Friday at 4:15 p.m.

There may be some tough games and some tough times initially, but it’s a long season. When it’s said and done, Randall hopes they’ve come around and that all the hard work has paid off.

“I’m hoping that that resiliency goes out on the field,” Randall said. “That they keep attacking the balls and staying with it and not getting down.”

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