A combination of inexperience and injuries could have derailed the Fenwick girls soccer season, but the Friars reached a Class 3A regional final and showed coach Rob Watson what they were made of in 2017.
Fenwick finished with a winning record, 8-7-1, despite losing 3-0 to host York on Friday.
“I’m just proud that we came this far, to be honest,” Watson said. “The season could have gone south quick. I don’t like losing, but I’m real happy with the resilience they’ve shown.
“And obviously you’re going to gain experience playing in a game like this, and there’s no substitute for that experience.”
Fenwick won a 3A regional title last year, but Watson said the program will be moved back down to 2A for next year’s state playoffs. The Friars placed third in 2A in 2013.
Fenwick expects to return a number of talented players in 2018, including Lauren Stibich, Anissa Nourse and Lauren Miller, plus players lost to various injuries this season like Kaylie Fredian and Mary Kate Kapsch.
Stibich attempted to play against York with a tender ankle but left the game early on and did not return.
“With all of our injuries this year, we talked a lot about how we needed to work together as a team, especially after losing so many good players,” Nourse said. “I got hurt last year and was out for a while, and it just makes it hard on a team to have to keep adjusting to losing players that way.”
Fenwick trailed York 1-0 at halftime, and while players like Izzy Brennan and Nourse fought hard to help the Friars find an equalizing goal, a comeback never materialized. The Dukes scored twice in the second half to put the game out of reach.
York’s defense paid special attention to Brennan and Nourse in the second half, man-marking Nourse to keep the dangerous sophomore off the scoreboard.
“Anissa is a phenomenal player,” Watson said. “She’s one of the best technical players that you’ll see. She has played every game for two years for us, right in the middle of the field.
“She’s a playmaker. When you see her on the ball, she can buy herself time, distribute, score. She’s the complete package. And if a girl like that gets in the weight room, she’s Division I all day.”
York’s edge in size and physicality were evident on Friday.
“I hope we learned to be strong on the ball and how get through games like this,” Nourse said. “They were more physical than they were technical, and that’s something that as a team we need to work on. We definitely need to go do some weight training.”
Watson will bid farewell to only one senior from this year’s team.
“Izzy Brennan was our one senior, and it’s a shame her senior season has to end like that,” Watson said. “But she had a great career, and York is a very good team.
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“But next year they send us back down to 2A, which is more our size, and I think we’ll have a good opportunity with everyone that’s coming back.”
Gary Larsen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press