Fresh off a 1-0 victory over archrival Ponca City, Enid High Girl’s Soccer Coach Tm Lavoie is excited about the future of his young team. “Winning the “Battle of 412” Trophy was huge for our girls. This is the first time we have won it since it’s creation, and it was great to see their hard work pay off” said Lavoie.
The Pacers suit up 9 freshmen for the Varsity team, and 6 of the 11 starters are either freshmen or sophomores. “We play one of the toughest schedules in the state, so we are going to have some growing pains with the youth of this team. Union and Jenks are usually nationally ranked, and Owasso and Mustang are always in the running for a state championship, so I expect we will be challenged. The key for us is to not lose faith and confidence, to continue to compete, play hard and grow and learn from our mistakes,” Lavoie said.
The team is led by senior Captain Jarely Cassilas who plays Center Back (defense). Coach Lavoie said she is an excellent player who the younger girls really look up to as a leader. She brings a lot of great experience and has played a big role in development of the younger players. She keeps the team clam and organized and her confidence is infectious.
As a junior, Cassidy Fitzgerald (Forward/Attacking Mid) is also looked to for leadership on the pitch. She plays at a high level and creates opportunities for scoring for both herself and her teammates.
Coach Lavoie also highlights two sophomores who have made a big difference this year: Captain Tabitha Miller, who he describes as “relentless, with a high work rate, and is really the engine that drives the team. Her positive attitude reflects to the other kids and is really important piece of the team.” Center Back Marisa Chavez is also part of the leadership group and is a “bowling ball on defense. Her tackles are exceptional, and her tenacity and work ethic is unmatched. She really takes pride in what she does and it shows on the field,” he said.
As for soccer as a whole in Enid, Coach Lavoie is excited about the new soccer fields being built as part of the Advance Soccer Complex. While we have great programs for the very young, he believes that excellent facilities will help keep kids (and coaches) interested in soccer after the initial few seasons. “Players and coaches like to play in nice facilities. That, and the events that they plan to bring in, really promote the game of soccer and hopefully those kids will want to be part of something great.” As part of the youth development, Coach Lavoie wanted to give credit to a lot of his players that help out with the high school camps and activities. Along with the excellent Middle School coaches that Enid has been able to bring in, and the fact that we actually have middle school teams, which we didn’t have several years ago, portends a bright future for Enid High Soccer. Go Pacers!
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