New Palestine’s Allie Blum, left, is one of four returning All-HHC players.
The Daily Reporter File Photo
NEW PALESTINE — With plenty of returnees, and getting so close to a championship a year ago, New Palestine’s girls soccer team appears to have all the pieces to contend for titles in 2022.
We didn’t lose any starters. We pretty much have everyone back,” New Palestine coach Erin Clark said. “Two seniors graduated. We finished second in the conference with one loss to Mt. Vernon. I feel like, with returning all of our players, there are high expectations to challenge for that conference championship.”
The Dragons were 10-6 overall and 6-1 in the Hoosier Heritage Conference.
Seniors Anna Luker and Sydney Miller, junior Allie Blum and sophomore Tylar Whitaker were All-HHC performers last season.
Seniors Maddy Potter and Mia Knoop, along with Luker and Miller, have started since their freshman seasons. Potter has been the team captain since she was a sophomore.
Potter, Miller and Vivian Miller are all key returnees on defense. Grace Hasenkamp is back in goal.
Whitaker and Luker are the top returning goal scorers with eight each. Blum and Bethany Aldridge had seven apiece. Sydney Miller and Neveah Gebhart both scored three.
“We have a lot of threats to score,” Clark said. “We need to figure out how to make that happen. Last year we were really good at possessing the ball. We’d keep the ball all game long, but then we would score one goal. We’re working on how to keep the ball and score quickly.”
The Dragons are off to a good start at 2-0. They’re putting up big scoring numbers, too.
They opened Tuesday with a 5-1 win at Pike. In the home opener Thursday, they beat Ben Davis 4-0.
Whitaker had a hat trick in the win over Pike. Gebhart and Rylee Hurst also scored goals.
Blum scored twice in the win over Ben Davis. Gebhart and Luker also tallied.
Along with having 11 seniors, Clark expects some young starters, too. Freshman Gabrielle Brown will be a candidate to be a regular contributor this season.
“We have the players to do it,” Clark said of moving up a spot in the HHC and challenging for a sectional crown. “That’s not the question. It’s how are we going to play together and play as a team to do it? I know we have the players to do it. We just have to put it all together by October. That’s the goal every year for us.”
The 2-0 Dragons are back in action today with an 11:30 a.m. match, at home, against Lawrence North.
