Coach aiming for conference championship
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
There are some new faces in new places this spring, but that hasn’t changed the goal for the Big Foot girls soccer team.
The Chiefs plan on contending once again.
Whether that happens will work itself out in the next several weeks, but fifth-year head coach Annie Isham returns a roster with plenty of big-match experience.
Big Foot enters the year after it posted a 12-4-3 overall mark a year ago and a second-place finish in the Rock Valley Conference.
“We should contend for the conference championship,” Isham said.
To get that done isn’t going to take any special formula, Isham said.
“The keys to success are hard work and outscoring the opponents,” she said.
Back for another season is the senior trio of Rachel Heidenreich (forward), Ally Mazur (defender) and Kathryn Colby (defender).
Colby was a first-team, All-RVC pick last year, while Heidenreich was named honorable mention. Another senior, Mari Hubanks, who led the Chiefs in scoring last year and was a first-team pick, is out for track in her final high school campaign.
Joining the senior class are 11 juniors, including first-team selection Morgan Courier (midfielder) and Morgan Grunow (midfielder-forward), who was honorable mention as a sophomore.
Other juniors are Hunter DeVoy (midfielder-defender), Annalise Floody (midfielder), Taylor Romani (forward), Julia Gilstrap (forward-midfielder), Molly Kearney (defender), Maureen Hammett (midfielder), Emily Woodside (midfielder), Jayla Lopez (forward) and Sarah Heath-Brost (midfielder).
Sophomores on the varsity roster are Enna Peterson (forward-goalie) and Maddie Palmer (forward-midfielder), while freshmen are Sara Canache (forward) and Payton Courier (midfielder-defender).
Isham identified Morgan Courier and Colby as two girls she expects to lead the team all spring.
As for the RVC, Isham said she expects McFarland, last year’s conference champion, and Evansville, which was third behind the Chiefs, to be among the contenders again this spring.
Isham will be assisted this year by Rene Perez with the JV and varsity and volunteer Jeanne Case.
It’s time to get the season going, and Isham said she can’t wait.
“I always look forward to see how the team comes together and what young players step forward,” she said.
Chiefs start 2-1
Big Foot opened the spring with a pair of victories before a 3-2 setback Monday night to visiting Whitewater.
The Whippets jumped out to a 2-0 lead before Floody scored off an assist by Heidenreich at the 39-minute mark. Big Foot tied the game in the second half on a goal by Morgan Courier, before Whitewater put the winning goal on the scoreboard late in the second half.
Peterson finished the game with five saves.
The loss Monday came on the heels of a 7-0 win April 6 over host Jefferson and a 3-0 win April 10 over visiting McFarland.
Morgan Courier led the way against Jefferson with two goals and an assist. Also collecting goals were Floody, Heidenreich, Hammett, Palmer and Payton Courier. Grunow had three assists, while Colby had two.
Big Foot scored all three of its goals against McFarland in the first half. Heidenreich, Grunow and Payton Courier each had a goal, while Colby had two assists. Peterson finished with nine saves.
The Chiefs were back in action Thursday at Evansville and travel to Badger Saturday.
