FORTVILLE — Even with the loss of four players that went on to play at NCAA Division I universities, the Mt. Vernon girls soccer program hardly skipped a beat in 2022.
With a few varsity-tested players and a number of talented newcomers, the Marauders kept playing like the Marauders usually play.
They went 11-6 overall, reached the sectional championship match and were undefeated conference champions.
Mt. Vernon went 7-0 in Hoosier Heritage Conference contests, stretching a streak of consecutive league wins to 16 in a row and 47 of the last 49. The conference title was the program’s sixth in the last seven years.
Just like normal.
More of the same is expected in 2023, but they would like to add more titles to that winning tradition.
The players are there to do it.
The Marauders return nine starters, including Hancock County Player of the Year Kylie Brandes, leading goal scorer Mattie Isger, first-team all-district defender Ellie Gawrys, and All-HHC selections Lily Muhlenkamp and Lily Printz.
“Hopefully with all of them coming back – they all did a lot last year — but let’s all contribute a little more and do a little more,” coach Aaron Britt said.
With Gawrys, Muhlenkamp and Addison Lockwood, the Marauders return their entire back line of defenders.
In addition, Reagan Britt, Hannah Monroe, Jaicee Cole are all varsity vets.
“There are a lot of familiar faces, which is good,” coach Britt said.
“In a lot of ways it’s an advantage because they know what to expect and know what those (big) games feel like,” he added. “It’s not completely new for them. In that way, it is helpful. I’ve still preached to them a lot last year was last year.”
It was a perfect conference season, but not a perfect season. There were some tough, close losses that were just a little bit out of reach.
Along with the rigors of a tough HHC schedule, the Marauders play a strong non-conference slate, which includes a number of top teams in the state. In a lot of those matches, they fell short, including a pair of regular-season shutout losses to state-ranked Fishers and Center Grove in back-to-back games in September.
And, they had heartbreak to end the season, losing on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw with East Central in the sectional championship game. It was the second straight year the Marauders lost to the Trojans with a chance to reach the regional round.
“We’d possess the ball, defend well, we just couldn’t get over the hump on the attacking,” coach Britt said of the close losses. “For us to continue to be successful to continue to be competitive and tilt some of those games in our favor, it’s going to — this sounds simple — we’re going to have to score more goals.”
The Marauders appear to have a lineup with potential to get over that hump.
Isger scored a team-best 11 goals last season. Brandes had 10 goals and 10 assists. Gawrys scored seven times and Monroe had five goals to go with five assists. Printz had five assists.
“It’s a lot of the same people, but it’s a completely new season,” coach Britt reiterated. “(They have been) here before and most of them have been through it.
“The conference teams are gunning for you. That’s the challenge there, and the other games we were super competitive and just didn’t get over the hump. It’s the same this year. We’re going to be competitive. Can we figure out the ways to come out on the other side of those with a better result?”
Seven of the team’s eight non-conference games are against preseason state-ranked schools, including the season-opener Monday at Class 2A No. 4 Chatard. Other ranked teams on the schedule include, Tipton (1A, No. 16), Homestead (3A, No. 5), Fishers (3A, No. 14), Center Grove (3A, No. 8), Batesville (2A, No. 18) and Hamilton Southeastern (3A, No. 3).
You can add East Central (3A, No. 12) to that list if they would meet again in the sectional tournament. The Trojans have been a thorn in the Marauders’ side for two straight years.
“The goal is not to get to the (sectional) final. The goal is to win, but we want to keep putting ourselves in that position to get to that game. When we get to that game, and get that opportunity, we want to take advantage of it,” the coach said. “It’s the same with the conference. You want to go through those games, game by game, and hopefully put yourselves in position to be at the top of the group.
“(The sectional was) a slugfest, a 1-1 draw, and to go to PKs (and lose), that hurts. To get back and have an opportunity to do something more there is obviously a driver for anybody who is competitive.”
Along with the returning veteran crew, coach Britt thinks Aya Renforth, a senior that scored a pair of goals last season, and sophomore Taylor Bastin are two others he sees has potential big contributors this season.
One place where the team will be completely new is in goal. Senior Khloe Patterson graduated. Sophomore Ava Stephenson, the team’s varsity backup and JV starter a year ago, will get the nod this season.
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2023 Mt. Vernon Girls Soccer Schedule
Date;Opponent;Time
Aug. 14;at Chatard;7:30 p.m.
Aug. 17;vs. Tipton;6 p.m.
Aug. 19;vs. Franklin;11:30 a.m.
Aug. 21;vs. Greenfield-Central;7 p.m.
Aug. 26;at Homestead;12:30 p.m.
Aug. 29;at Shelbyville;7 p.m.
Aug. 31;vs. New Castle;7 p.m.
Sept. 6;vs. New Palestine;7 p.m.
Sept. 9;at Yorktown;11 a.m.
Sept. 11;at Fishers;7 p.m.
Sept. 13;vs. Center Grove;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18;at Batesville;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 23;vs. Delta;11:30 a.m.
Sept. 25;at Pendleton Heights;7 p.m.
Sept. 27;vs. Hamilton SE;7:15 p.m.
