Young Easton team welcomes new coach

16 years ago
By Meridith Paterson  
Staff Writer

    EASTON – Easton girls’ varsity soccer celebrates a homecoming this season with their new coach Rachel Tomlinson, who returns to the team after her first stint coaching six years ago.

    Despite having a young squad under a new coaching regime, Tomlinson hopes for a solid year powered by the Bears’ tenacity. “We are a very young and inexperienced team with a new coach, so the team is facing a couple of challenges before they even step foot on the field. On the other hand, although they are young, they have a lot of potential as they are very athletic and have a great work ethic. The veteran players have been wonderful motivators and have done a great job encouraging the young players,” commented Tomlinson about the team.
    Starters this year begin with seniors Katrina Martin and Kilynne Beaulieu both in the midfield. Junior Taylor Burtt is the ’08 keeper with juniors Lisa Dayringer and Ashley Nickerson on defense and the frontline, respectively. Starting sophomores are Brooke Hammond on the frontline and Sydney Trask on defense. Freshmen Abegail Poole and Sarah Plourde round out the defense. Freshmen Ariana Babineau in the midfield and Danielle Dudley on the frontline finish of the starting roster.
    “The starting lineup will change throughout the season, once I can better determine who plays well together and in what positions,” said Tomlinson. “Since I have a young team, I am trying to teach them all the positions so they will be more versatile on the field.”
    Also playing for the Bears this season are seniors Jessica Monson (defense) and Kaci Getchell (frontline); sophomores Sam Fuller (midfield), Brooke Lunney (defense) and Mikaela Hathaway (frontline); and freshmen Meghan Frank (frontline) and Amanda Dayringer (midfield).
    Tomlinson predicts that the team will improve quickly even with the short season. “They need to be aggressive and compete 50/50 for every ball and not back down,” said Tomlinson. “We will be looking to shoot the ball outside the 18 as much as we can because we are not a team of finesse at this stage of the season. We are doing much better at shooting the ball, now we have to work on ball placement. Our team play is improving every day, and I think by the end of the season we will be a much stronger and better team.”

 

ImageStaff photo/Meridith Paterson
    EASTON GIRLS’ VARSITY SOCCER – The 2008 Bears are, from the left in front, Amanda Dayringer, Meghan Frank, Brooke Lunney, Brooke Hammond, Taylor Burtt, Katrina Martin, Abegail Poole and Mikaela Hathaway; in back, manager Sadie Embelton, Danielle Dudley, Jessica Monson, Sarah Plourde, Sydney Trask, Ariana Babineau, Lisa Dayringer, Kacie Getchell, Ashley Nickerson and coach Rachel Tomlinson; and, missing from the photograph, Kilynne Beaulieu and Samantha Fuller.