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Season Preview: Youth movement for girls’ soccer

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Junior Savannah Kamperides vs. Plymouth South. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The defending Division 2 state champs have plenty of new faces around.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team has its work cut out for it in 2022. 

Patriot League All-Stars Olivia Borgen, Ava Melia and Nora Manning have all graduated from last year’s D2 state title team. Borgen (Penn State) and Melia (Bryant) are both playing Division 1 soccer. Melia anchored the backline, while Borgen (team-high 23 goals and 14 assists) and Manning (12 goals and team-high 15 assists) provided some serious firepower up front. 

Senior captain Kayla Cassidy, who is committed to play D1 herself for the University of Cincinnati, was supposed to shoulder even more of the load on offense. Except Cassidy, who pumped in 18 goals last fall (good for second on the team), tore her ACL and is out for the season. 

“That’s big loss,” Floeck said. “That, on top of the senior class that we lost.” 

It doesn’t end there. 

Senior midfielder Madelyn Allen is also expected to miss most of the season due to injury.

There’s more. 

“Between June and July, five of our players suffered season-ending injuries,” Floeck said. “It has been like nothing that I’ve ever seen. We’ve even had some other younger players that have shown well that have suffered some serious injuries that appear to have them out for the season.” 

So who is healthy?

For starters, junior captain Makenna Marshall is and will lead the defense. Marshall has been on varsity since her freshman year. 

“We’re really looking for her to provide that leadership on and off the field,” Floeck said. “She is a tremendous player. She has the respect of all her teammates and she’s been through the biggest games we’ve played in. We’re relying on her to be the leader of the team and for our back line.”

Fellow junior Savannah Kamperides joins her back there.

“Savannah played an important role for us last year so this year we’re looking for her to come back and be strong on the back line,” Floeck said. 

While just juniors, Marshall and Kamperides are elder statesmen on the team, which features just one healthy senior in Ella Nagle. 

“As our lone senior on the field right now we’re counting on her to kind of shoulder some of that load (on offense),” Floeck said. 

Sophomore Maddie Fitzgerald should also play a key role on offense. 

“She played significant time for us last year as a freshman and we’re really counting on her to step up and be a catalyst for our attack,” Floeck said. 

It’s definitely a youth movement for the Panthers. 

“We have some freshmen that are really being thrown into the fire,” Floeck said. “Even our bench is all freshmen and sophomores. Our mantra to get better every day and if you’re doing that hopefully the results are going our way.”

Floeck said he’s excited about the development of his program. 

“We want to make sure we do it the right way,” he said. “We have a great opportunity that we’re not graduating much so if we can develop these players the right way this can really set us up going forward. We understand we’re going to make mistakes or they’re going to be in satiations they’ve never been in but we’re trying to work through that with them. Our league is not forgiving nor is the fact that I’m sure everyone wants to have a shot at us because we have had such success in the league over the years.”

The defending D2 champs are back in action on Thursday, Sept. 15 when they host Plymouth South at 6:30 p.m. 

“We want to see growth,” Floeck said. “We know that there’s going to be growing pains. There are things that we’re used to our teams being able to do that we’re just not there yet and from a coaching staff perspective we have to realize that and be there to support our kids when we put them in some situations like a Whitman-Hanson-Hingham rivalry or Plymouth North or Silver Lake. Everything is an opportunity. We just want to keep a positive attitude and focus on the things that we can control. We’re hoping to get better every day and see where that puts us.”

Borgen, Manning & Melia the ‘driving force’ behind girls’ soccer’s title run

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Four years ago, Olivia Borgen, Nora Manning and Ava Melia cracked the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team as freshmen. 

They made an immediate impact. 

Borgen and Manning netted eight goals apiece, which was good for second on the team. Melia was a standout on the back line. 

Four years later, they depart as the senior captains of the program’s first-ever state title. 

“They were the driving force, in a sense that they’ve experienced some big games,” said W-H head coach David Floeck. “We didn’t have the state tournament the year prior but they had the experience from their freshman and sophomore years of playing in a state tournament, so their leadership on and off the field was really invaluable for us. They were definitely the engine that made us go — those three.” 

The state championship game is a perfect example. 

The Panthers looked down and out as they trailed a Silver Lake team — that had shut them out in both of their previous two meetings — 1-0 late in the second half. 

Olivia Borgen, despite being in a walking boot with a sprained right ankle until she boarded the bus, provided the spark with the equalizer in the 69th minute. 

Shortly thereafter, Manning made perhaps the play of the game when she drew a foul on the Silver Lake keeper in the box.

Enter Melia. She rocketed home the penalty kick for a 2-1 W-H lead. 

Manning followed it up with a goal of her own to add some insurance. 

“Liv and Ava are my best friends and it is so special to me that I got the chance to spend some of the best years of my life with them,” said Manning, who netted 12 goals and dished out 15 assists. “Playing with them these past four years has been amazing. I’m going to miss playing with [them] more than anything and I still can’t believe it’s all over.”

Added Borgen, a back-to-back All-New England selection, who scored a team-high 23 goals with 14 assists: “It’s so special to have shared this journey with them. From tiny little freshman trying to fit in on the team to senior captains leading our team to a state championship, it feels unreal.”

Said Melia, a two-time EMass first-teamer: “To make varsity together as timid, young freshman to later make it all the way as captains and state champions is amazing.”

Borgen and Melia are no stranger to lifting hardware. Back in 2017, they won the National Championship together with their South Shore Select club team. 

“Sharing that with her has given us an amazing relationship,” Melia said. 

The three will head their separate ways next year to continue their soccer careers. Borgen will play at Penn State, Manning is heading to Stonehill College and Melia is going to Bryant University. 

“They led the way with their energy level and how much it mattered,” Floeck said. “They were really committed to try and bring a state championship to the school.” 

Girls’ soccer wins first-ever state title

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They say it’s tough to beat a team three times in a season.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team proved why.

Down 1-0 late in the Div. 2 state final to Silver Lake, a team the Panthers hadn’t scored against in their previous two meetings, they finally broke through — erupting for three goals in the final 11 minutes to capture their first-ever state title.

“I’m at a loss for words,” said 26-year W-H head coach David Floeck. “We’ve worked so hard. This is a tremendous accomplishment for them.”

Senior Olivia Borgen, who was knocked out of the Panthers’ state semifinal win Wednesday with a sprained right ankle, snuck home the equalizer in the 69th minute.

“She is gutsy,” Floeck said. “She has been in a [walking] boot all the way until we got on the bus for the game. She said, ‘Coach, I’m taping it. I’m going to give everything I got.’”

“I just needed to give it my all,” Borgen said. “It was the last game. Even if I was in a boot 30 minutes before I came here, I just needed to push through and give it my all. We’ve worked so hard to get here. I’m just so proud of this whole team.”

It remained tied until the 77th minute when Lakers goalkeeper Emma Hudson got called for a foul, taking down a W-H senior captain Nora Manning in the box. The result? A penalty kick.

Fellow senior captain Ava Melia buried it for a 2-1 lead.

“Its just the best feeling ever,” Melia said. “I could not be happier. This team deserves it.”

Manning sealed it with a goal of her own in stoppage time.

“I’m so excited,” Manning said. “It was our goal from the beginning of the season. It feels so amazing to finally achieve that.”

Season Preview: Girls’ soccer taking things a day at a time

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Senior captain Nora Manning fights for the ball against Hingham. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The girls’ soccer team is focused on improving daily.

For a program that has qualified for 21 straight state tournaments, you would likely assume the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team sets the bar high.

Or maybe not?

“Honesty, we haven’t talked about any of it,” said 26-year head David Floeck when asked about his club’s goals. “Not to sound cliché, but we’re just trying to get better every day.”

So far that’s what they’ve done. Following a 3-1 start to the season — with their only loss coming against Plymouth North — W-H played to a 2-2 draw against unbeaten Hingham on Monday, Sept. 20 at Dennis M. O’Brien Field.

“I don’t think we’ve been playing as well as we’re capable of playing,” said Floeck, whose Panthers finished 9-2-2 last season. “I thought tonight our intensity was on a different level than it had been all season and that’s what we need to compete. We can’t play the Hinghams or Plymouths without this type of intensity level.”

Senior captain Olivia Borgen put the Panthers in front 2-1 early in the second half with her second goal of the night — this one on a penalty kick.

“We need her,” Floeck said of Borgen, who is committed to play at Penn State. “She is the engine that makes us go.”

That’s where it stood until four minutes remaining when the Harborwomen, who ended the Panthers’ season last year in the Patriot Cup semifinals, knotted it up at two apiece.

“When you get that close you’re definitely hoping to squeak one out,” Floeck said. “But it was another Whitman-Hanson Hingham battle.”

It was the first one for W-H freshmen goalkeeper Ava Patete, who made 13 saves to keep the Harborwomen at bay.

“This was a huge night for her,” Floeck said. “Neither goal was anything she could have done [to prevent]. She made a ton of saves tonight and more importantly in an atmosphere with two great teams going at it, big crowd cheering, the pressure of the game and she really did a phenomenal job.”

Senior backs Megan Bizier and Skylar Jordan and classmate Ava Melia, who is headed to play at Bryant University, locked down the backend.

As for the offense, junior Kayla Cassidy, Stonehill-bound senior captain Nora Manning and classmate Jenna Lindstrom will chip in plenty this season.

The Panthers are back in action Friday, Sept. 24 at 3:30 p.m. on the road against Silver Lake.

“We have to keep it going,” Floeck said. “And if we do, we think we can get on to something special and in those (league title and state title) conversations.”

A triple threat: Codero a 3-sport standout at Whitman-Hanson

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Codero dribbles the ball. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Since she was a freshman, all Reese Codero has ever known is being on the varsity team— in three sports.

Reese Codero’s refrigerator at home is littered with magnets. It’s what happens when you‘re a three-sport athlete.

But not only is the Whitman-Hanson Regional High junior a three-sport athlete, but she’s a three-sport varsity athlete, and she has been since her freshman year. That’s rare.

“I like it because it’s three different groups of girls I get to see each season,” Codero said. “I really like seeing different faces.”

Codero is a goalie on the soccer team, a point guard for the basketball team and a shortstop in softball. While Codero doesn’t have an offseason, she doesn’t need one because each sport prepares her for the next.

“With soccer, you see everything, so I feel like that helps me with basketball because when I’m setting up the offense I can see everyone, and obviously the hand-eye coordination is big,” Codero said. “And with soccer you’re moving laterally a lot. I feel like that helps with softball and even playing defense in basketball.”

“And I’m always sacrificing my body,” Codero added with a laugh. “The turf — I’ve grown an immunity to it so now the hardwood has no effect on me, and then going on to the dirt — it’s even better.”

That sacrifice is something first-year W-H girls’ basketball head coach Mike Costa noticed immediately.

“She’ll run through a wall for you,” Costa said. “She puts her body on the line.”

She’s always had the drive, but she’s developed the skill this winter as well, emerging as the tournament-bound Panthers’ starting point guard.

“She is probably our best ball handler with the guards,” Costa said. “I just feel comfortable with her with the ball in her hands and calling any play she sees. She’s good at seeing the game, so I trust her. She is going to be a big part of what we do moving forward the rest of the season.”

In the fall, she was part of a goalie tandem that helped the girls’ soccer team to a 15-1-2 regular season, winning the Patriot League Keenan Division title. Next season, she’ll serve as a captain.

Codero makes a save in soccer. / Photo by: Sue Moss

“Reese is a rare athlete these days; one who excels in three different sports,” said W-H girls’ soccer head coach David Floeck. “She has improved every year and I think that the skills required for her as a goalkeeper are reinforced with the other sports she plays. As a young lady, she is a leader and well respected by all her teammates. She is a top-notch kid and a talented athlete.”

This spring will be Codero’s third as the softball team’s starting shortstop. W-H skipper Jordan McDermott also raved about her leadership and attitude.

“Reese brings a lot of toughness to the Whitman-Hanson programs that she is involved in,” McDermott said. “I enjoy watching her teammates look up to her, but what I enjoy most is seeing the youth players in Whitman and Hanson support her and be her biggest fans — other than her family.

“She is never one to ask about her personal stats, but about the team stats. She’s never one to drop her body language when she makes a mistake or when a teammate makes a mistake. She is what being a student-athlete is all about.”

Codero fields the ball at shortstop. / Photo by: Sue Moss

So how does Codero juggle being a three-sport athlete with school?

“Time management is a big thing,” she said. “Obviously, studies come first, and I think I do a pretty good job of managing my time, making sure I get my homework done before I come to practice, staying after school if I need extra help. If you have time management, it’s really easy to balance.”

And it’s that sort of life lesson that Codero said she appreciates the most about playing high school sports.

“There’s big wins, there’s how to balance your time with school and there’s preparing you for college,” she said. “It’s really got everything.”

A hero’s welcome: Sam Mewis inducted into W-H Athletics Hall of Fame

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World Cup champion Sam Mewis returned home to get inducted into the W-H Athletics Hall of Fame.

A World Cup title and back-to-back National Women’s Soccer League championships are part of Sam Mewis’ accomplishments, but some of her fondest memories playing soccer came from her time at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

“One time, Mary, one of my best friends from high school, I had said it was my mission to have her score a goal, and I was able to assist her first goal ever,” Mewis recalled. “I just remember being so happy and there was this picture in the newspaper, and it just meant so much to me to share that with Mary.”

On Wednesday, Oct. 30, Mewis returned to Dennis M. O’Brien Field — not to play — but as an inductee into the W-H Athletics Hall of Fame. She shared that message with the W-H girls’ soccer team before the game.

“She talked to [the team] about cherishing every moment,” said W-H head coach David Floeck, who coached Mewis from 2007-10. “She’s been in the biggest moments around, and she talked about remembering getting ready for her senior night and getting ready for the tournament and for the kids to enjoy each and every one of those nights.”

Braving the evening rain in a Whitman-Hanson Panthers sweatshirt and black pullover, Mewis, who was unable to attend the original W-H Athletics Hall of Fame induction last month, sandwiched a halftime speech between autograph sessions.

“It’s great [to be back],” said Mewis, who graduated from W-H in 2010. “It’s super exciting and it’s a huge honor. I’m just really excited to be here and be back with the community and seeing a lot of my old friends and teachers. It was awesome.

“I’m really grateful for obviously this community, the way that the coaches and players and my teammates contributed to all that success. Everyone who has been a part of my journey so far has contributed in such a big way, so I wouldn’t be here without them.”

During Mewis’ tenure at W-H, the Panthers went 74-6-4 and won four league titles. Floeck said she helped lay the groundwork for the program’s future.

“When Kristie (Sam’s sister) got here and Sam followed a couple years behind, that’s really when the program took off,” Floeck said. “We had been good up to that point, but that’s when it really took off and we’ve maintained a level of success that a lot of the players that have gone through here have a lot to be proud of.”

Erin Wood, a current senior back on the team, used to attend Mewis’ games growing up.

“Knowing she’s from our school is really awesome to see,” said Wood. “I mean, she grew up in the same town we did, probably five minutes from my house, so the fact that she made it that far in the World Cup and actually won, shows that even if you’re from a small town you build a name for yourself and can create something.”

And that’s just the message Mewis is trying to relay.

“I hope that I can inspire young girls to work hard and believe in themselves and know that no matter where you’re from or what you want to do, it’s possible,” Mewis said.

That’s just a part of the impact Mewis said she is hoping to have on society.

“One of our goals with this whole fight, to help inspire the next generation and all women to understand their value and their worth in the workplace,” Mewis said. “It’s a responsibility, but we also hope that young women everywhere understand that they deserve equal pay.”

Next up for the Hanson native, she now sets her sights on the chance to represent the country on the national stage once again, in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

“It would be unbelievable,” Mewis said. “I missed out on the Olympics last time and it was a huge honor to make the World Cup team, but I would love to continue making rosters and continue down that path.”

Billings boots girls’ soccer past Norwell, 2-1

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Junior Alexis Billings (No. 13) defends Kristi Vierra (No. 5). / Photo by: Sue Moss

Alexis Billings scored the winner to send the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team past Norwell, 2-1.

Often what Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer junior Alexis Billings does on the soccer field doesn’t show up on the stat sheet.

Well, on Wednesday, Oct. 23, it did.

With roughly 14 minutes remaining, she gathered the ball at the top of the penalty box and fired a shot into the left corner of the net, to send the Panthers past Norwell, 2-1.

“It felt so good,” Billings said. “I was so happy. I hugged all of my teammates as hard as I could.”

Billings was also tasked with marking Norwell’s top player, Wake Forest-bound senior Kristi Vierra, and Billings held her off the scoreboard.

“She’s not tallest player on the field,” W-H head coach David Floeck said of Billings. “But she plays a lot taller than she is. She does a lot of dirty work as well. It was nice to see her rewarded.”

“[Vierra] is amazing,” Billings said. “I play club soccer with her so I know how she is. She’s definitely a threat on the field.”

The Clippers struck first, getting on the board about 15 minutes in.

The Panthers responded before the half, when sophomore Nora Manning took a cross from classmate Olivia Borgen and sent it in the back of the net, tying it at 1-1.

“We’re resilient,” Floeck said. “We don’t like to fall behind but the team has shown a propensity to come back.”

The Panthers now await their opponent in the playoffs.

“Norwell’s a good team,” Floeck said. “They’re getting ready for the tournament and so are we. We’re both getting ready before the tournament starts.”

Borgen nets hat trick, Floeck notches 350th career win

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Consistency.

It’s been the hallmark of David Floeck’s tenure at the helm of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team.

He hasn’t had a losing since 1999 and his staff has remained in place — for the most part over his 24 years.

Today — powered by a hat trick from sophomore Olivia Borgen — Floeck notched his 350th career win with a 3-0 victory over Silver Lake.

“We’ve has a consistent staff and a lot of good players come through here,” said Floeck, who’s churned our three D1 players over the past two years. “We say we want to get better every day and keep it going so we do enjoy that success.”

Borgen struck for two of her three goals in a 10-minute span in the first half and capped it in the 60th minute.

“She’s been a spark plug in finding the back of the net,” Floeck said. “We have some others who have been struggling finding the back of the net but we hope that’s going to round itself out as we head into the tournament.”

Sophomore Ava Melia and seniors Samantha Perkins, Erin Wood and Courtney Woodward anchored the defense in front of junior goalkeepers Reese Codero and Kylie Colclough.

“We’re coming together back there,” Floeck said. “We gave up some goals earlier on the season that we don’t usually, but we’re coming together.”

The Panthers (11-1-1) secured their first Patriot League Keenan Division title since 2015 on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over Plymouth North.

“We want to get better every day and we felt if we did that, certain things would come our way along the way,” Floeck said. “We want to get better every day and get into the tournament and hopefully have some success.”

Season Preview: Flexibility and depth are strengths for girls’ soccer

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24-year head coach David Floeck. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The Panthers made the postseason last fall, but were unable to make the bang they hoped for, bowing out to Hingham, 2-1, in the Div. 1 South quarterfinals, capping the season at 14-2-4.

For the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team, the goal remains the same.

“We want to get better every day and to be playing our best soccer towards the end of the season and hopefully that means we’re in the tournament and we can make some noise in there,” said 24-year W-H head coach David Floeck, whose team hasn’t had a losing season since 1999.

The Panthers made the postseason last fall, but were unable to make the bang they hoped for, bowing out to Hingham, 2-1, in the Div. 1 South quarterfinals, capping the season at 14-2-4.

“Going out in the second round of the tournament, that’s not something we wanted to see happen,” Floeck said.

Finding the back of the net was admittedly a challenge for W-H, which scored a nine-year low 51 goals. Now, with 44 of the goals back, scoring shouldn’t be an issue anymore. The now-sophomore trio of Olivia Borgen (eight goals), Nora Manning (eight goals) and Kelsee Wozniak (team-high 11 goals) netted over half of those tallies last season.

“They’ve worked on the physical part of their game and came back bigger, stronger and faster,” Floeck said. “They certainly have worked on things they needed to work on. We’re extremely impressed with the type of years they had last year, but if they duplicate that, we’d be disappointed because that means they didn’t grow.”

A striker, Wozniak was an EMass first-team selection and earned a spot in the Patriot League All-Star game, and she should be the catalyst of the offense yet again.

“She has the chance to go down as one of the best players we’ve ever had in this program when it’s all said and done,” said Floeck, whose program has churned out All-Americans in three straight seasons. “I don’t know that we’ve identified a ceiling for her yet. She has tremendous potential.”

Senior midfielders Riley Bina (captain), Anika Floeck and junior midfielder Alexis Billings will also be crucial assets to the offense.

Though, question marks do loom, in terms of experience, on the other end of the pitch, with the graduation of defender Olivia Johnson (starter for Endicott College), four-year starting goalie Skylar Kuzmich (starter for Hofstra University) and All-American back Sammy Smith (starter for Boston College), all of whom were captains last fall.

But the Panthers do return some talent back there, in seniors Sam Perkins (league all-star last season), Erin Wood, Courtney Woodward (captain) and sophomore Ava Melia.

In net, there’s a healthy competition going on between juniors Reese Codero and Kylee Colclough.

“They’ve been working with [Skylar Kuzmich] all along and both gotten varsity experience due to injuries or different opportunities,” Floeck said. “We feel pretty good about both of them. If we think both are at the same level, we can split them or they can play different games.”

Floeck said the Panthers’ strengths are their flexibility and depth.

“We have a number of players that play different positions,” said the coach. “We have a number of people who can put the ball in the back of the net, so if teams start to take away one aspect of what we’re doing there’s other players that can take advantage of that. We’ll have six or seven kids on our bench that can come in and score or help us defend.”

W-H opens its campaign at home Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. against league foe Plymouth South.

“We had a couple games that we didn’t perform at our best and it cost us the league championship,” Floeck said. “We’re gonna try to work on that to make sure we don’t have those missteps because we’re in a league where if you go out and lose a game or tie a game you shouldn’t have, it’ll cost you.”

 

Season Review: Freshmen kick it into full gear for girls’ soccer

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Freshman Nora Manning. / Photo by: Sue Moss

The freshmen accounted for nearly 53 percent of the Panthers’ goals this season.

Coming into the season, 23-year head coach David Floeck wasn’t sure what to expect out his Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer team.

The Panthers were looking to make up for the graduation of nine seniors, most critically Lauren Bonavita, who cemented herself in program history with a 43-goal senior season to become its all-time leading goal scorer with 113.

He knew his team was going to be young, and that one girl wouldn’t replace the foot of Bonavita, it was going to be a joint effort. But if you told him over half (27 of 51) of his team’s goals would come from freshmen, he would have never imagined.

“Certainly, I think the impact our freshmen had was a nice surprise,” Floeck said.

Freshman striker Kelsee Wozniak led the way with 11 tallies to go with seven assists for the Panthers, who finished the season with a 14-2-4 record after a Div. 1 South quarterfinals loss to Hingham, 2-1. Along with being named a league all-star, she was selected as First-Team All-Eastern Mass.

“For her to come in as a freshman and lead our team in scoring was certainty a tremendous accomplishment,” Floeck said.

Wozniak pumped in multiple goals on numerous occasions, including a hat trick in a 5-1 season-opening win against Notre Dame Academy of Hingham.

“She’s very good technically, her skills are excellent and she’s an outstanding athlete,” Floeck said. “You put those two things together with the fact that she’s an extremely competitive kid, and that is what makes her so special.”

Fellow freshmen Olivia Borgen and Nora Manning added eight goals apiece, which was good for second on the team.

“Olivia Borgen, who is a very talented player, some of her development is going to be around just getting stronger,” Floeck said.

“Nora brings great athleticism and speed, and hopefully she will continue to get better in the technical part of the game and kind of understanding her role as a striker.”

However, scoring wasn’t the Panthers’ strength, as they tallied just 51 goals on the season, a nine-year low for the program, according to Floeck.

“Last year with Lauren scoring all the goals, we were still a really good defensive team, and maybe that got overshadowed a little bit,” Floeck said. “I think this year we really relied on that defensive posture that we’ve had, and that was kind of our strength.”

In net, four-year starter, senior captain Skylar Kuzmich, helped the team to eight shutouts. The Hofstra-bound goalkeeper was named a Patriot League All-Star and was selected as First-Team All-Eastern Mass.

“She’s been rock solid for four years, and from a coaching perspective there’s something great when you know game in and game out you’re going in with a goalkeeper who is confident and can play at a high level,” Floeck said. “It’s not always easy to find goalkeepers who can do that.”

In the back, Patriot League All-Star and junior Samantha Perkins, classmate Erin Wood, senior captain Olivia Johnson and freshman Ava Melia were standouts.

In addition to netting seven goals, Boston College-bound senior captain Sammy Smith often defended and most of the time locked down the opposing team’s best offensive talent. She was named an All-American, selected as First-Team All-Eastern Mass. and tabbed a Patriot League All-Star.

“Sammy is just a dominating presence on the field, whether it’s in the back, whether it’s in the midfield, she just can turn a game around with her speed, her athleticism, her skills,” Floeck said. “There’s not another Sammy Smith out there.”

Floeck said the high point of the season was Oct. 1 when the Panthers battled Hingham to a 0-0 tie on the road.

“We felt like our team, for that point of the season, really showed they could compete against one of the best teams around,” Floeck said.

“From there we felt like, if we could just fix some of the little things, that we were going to be a team that was tough to beat.”

Three weeks later, the Harborwomen knotted W-H up, 1-1, at Dennis M. O’Brien Field. The Panthers fell into an early 1-0 hole, which was a problem all season, before junior Riley Bina (six goals) scored the equalizer late.

“We had a number of times where we fell behind teams,” Floeck said. “What this young team showed us is they were very resilient and didn’t get down too much on themselves.”

W-H hung with Hingham all season in the Patriot League Keenan Division standings, but a 2-2 tie against Plymouth South in late September proved costly for the Panthers as the Harborwomen won the division by one point.

“I do think we were good enough to win the Patriot League, and I don’t know if I would have said that coming into the season,” Floeck said.

Floeck said he’s looking to see improvement in the goal scoring department next season, but noted it’s not going to happen overnight with such a young nucleus.

“We had games where we really struggled scoring and that’s why we tied more games than we’re probably accustomed to,” Floeck said. “I think that’s going to come with the continued growth of these young players, and that’s what’s encouraging that they’re young, so we know that they’re only going to get better.”