Nauset Girls Soccer Looks To Build After Losing Key Pieces

NORTH EASTHAM – It’s never easy replacing top scorers after they graduate. It’s even more difficult to replace a pair of playmakers with Division I talent. 

 The Nauset girls soccer team is looking to reload this fall after the departure of Olivia Avellar and Caroline Kennard, two skilled former stars for the Warriors who are now playing at Boston University and Ball State, respectively.

 “There’s a certain level of comfort when you have players like that,” Nauset coach Evan Botting said. “The team felt comfortable knowing that Olivia and Caroline Kennard and all of those girls were able to sort of bail them out. Now we’re out of that comfort zone and it’s a matter of finding our way and learning how we can work as a group to create opportunities.”

 Scoring wasn’t an issue in Nauset’s season opener, as sophomore Caroline Bothfeld tallied six points after netting four goals and assisting on two others in a 6-1 victory over Sturgis West on Sept. 3.

 Goals were harder to come by during Monday’s 1-0 non-league loss to Sandwich. Morgan Whitney scored the lone goal for the Blue Knights, who were able to slow down the Warriors and limit them to just two shots on goal.

 “They came out and set the tone early,” Botting said. “They played with a lot of intensity defensively and it took us a while to warm up to that today. I think in the second half we started to match that and overcome it to create some more chances, but it took us a while to get to that point.”

 Botting said he’ll rely on a team effort to try to make up for the production the team received from Avellar and Kennard last year. In addition to Bothfeld, senior Molly Farrell and freshman Nina Swaby also scored goals in the team’s season-opening win. 

 Although it’s a small sample size, the coach has been pleased with how deep this year’s team appears to be through its first two games.

 “I think it’s depth,” he said about the team’s strengths. “We have a lot of kids — from the first 11 down through the bench — that can go out and play. That’s a luxury that we have this year, a lot of different faces popping up to contribute.”

 It helps that the Warriors have a battle-tested group of 12 upperclassmen, including eight seniors, returning from last year’s squad that qualified for the Division 3 state tournament.

 Junior goalkeeper Haley Jackson gives the Warriors a veteran presence between the pipes, while Botting will count on his four senior captains — Farrell, Elizabeth Stewart, Margaret Manganaro and Violet Roche — to provide leadership in front of Jackson.

“We’ve got great leadership,” Botting said. “Our four captains are great leaders, and then even some of our freshmen and down through the lineup, we have great leaders. Everyone is really communicating and talking and taking ownership for this season.”