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The girls’ varsity soccer team has had an impressive start to their preseason under the guidance of a new head coach. Scoring 14 goals in their first two showings, the girls have steamrolled to a 2-0 record, showing that the team has not lost its stride despite the loss of several key seniors.
After the retirement of coaching legend Ernst Feibusch, the namesake of Feibusch Field, assistant coach Marcos Estebez has taken the reins as head coach of both the girls’ and boys’ varsity squads. While the boys’ team broke their playoff losing streak to win the championship this fall, the girls’ team has won for thirteen consecutive seasons, establishing itself as one of the most successful athletic programs in Lowell history.
However, Estebez thinks the team’s dominance will not go untested this season. “You never want to have the expectation that it’s just business as usual. Last year, we ran into Washington and they showed us that we weren’t as good as we thought we were,” he said. “Regardless, I think we have an excellent chance at winning it all this season.”
On Feb. 15, the girls overcame the perennial powerhouse Tamalpais High School in a solid 4-1 victory, despite high-speed winds that pushed the goals across the field. “We haven’t traditionally had a lot of success in Marin, so I was expecting a competitive game, but not necessarily a win,” Estebez said. Regardless, the girls pulled off the victory in style, scoring three goals in the second half to break a deadlock.
To kick off its season, the team quashed any doubts about its excellence with a resounding 10-0 victory over Bay School. The girls were well-organized, and a strong defense served as a solid base for the offense to launch its attacks. Freshman forward Mikela Waldman earned her first start and marked her debut by scoring an impressive brace, or two goals, showing the boost that new players are bringing to the team. Junior defender Jillian Doherty, who has been with the team for three years, has been particularly impressed. “We lost a lot of important seniors, but gained a lot of freshmen to even it out,” she said. “And the team will get even better as the freshmen are trained.”
According to Estebez, the graduated players included an experienced goalie and center back. However, tryouts were very competitive this year, and he is confident that the 11 new faces that earned a place on the roster will be able to perform. “The freshmen are very strong, and that’s why we have so many of them on the team, and why there were so many hard decisions to make about who from last year was going to keep their spot,” he said. “We have four new players starting.” Fortunately for the Cards, the goalie spot has been filled by freshman Jennifer Kallenburg.
This year, the competition will be fierce, with both Lincoln and Washington looking to challenge the Cardinals’ streak. However, with this year’s addition of talented new players, the Mustangs and Eagles just might have to wait.
Come watch the girls’ soccer team kick off league play at 3:30 p.m. on March 1 at Kimball Field as they face the Wallenberg Bulldogs.
A version of this article first appeared in the Feb. 25, 2011 print edition of The Lowell.
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