Unbeaten Lightning aim high

Chris Yemma

With the fountain of youth flowing freely in the Sage Hill School

girls soccer program, the Lightning should be set for the next few

years. But the team isn’t looking to settle for what could be -- the

players have their eyes on the present.

The Lightning have six freshmen and five sophomores on the team

this year, to accompany six upperclassmen, including four seniors.

The team lost three seniors to graduation and one would-be senior

transferred, but only two starters were lost.

Despite the youth, Sage Hill has opened its season winning its

first nine games, through Friday, with freshmen stepping up left and

right. It’s the program’s best start since the school opened.

The team captured its first tournament title in the school’s

history by defeating Savanna in the championship game of the

Westminster tournament Dec. 6.

“We didn’t lose that much skill and we got some key freshmen in,”

Sage Coach Amy Ray said. “The skill level is higher this year with

the freshmen and a lot of our returning players have been playing

club.”

Ray said that in the past, not a lot of her players would compete

during the high school off-season. Now, more are playing club soccer,

which sharpens their skills for the high school season.

Julianna McLaughlin and Kellee Kim are two starting freshmen who

will be filling key positions this season, Ray said. McLaughlin plays

on defense, while Kim heads the offense.

Kim, McLaughlin and sophomore Emily Webb were named to the

all-tournament team in the Westminster tournament.

“This is our year to shine because we have four seniors leaving,”

Ray said. “The defense might take a hit next year. As a whole, we’re

doing a good job communicating, playing tough, finishing and playing

as a team.”

Ray said the biggest strength of this team is the offense. This

season, a senior Amy Werblin, the kicker for the Lightning football

team, was shifted from the backline to a forward spot, after several

defenders joined the program.

“I think [Werblin] is better offensively because she’s got a good

shot,” Ray said. “She also likes playing offense a lot better. She’s

the type of player who creates opportunities to score goals.”

For the football team this season, Werblin scored 35 points,

including field goals of 36 and 25 yards, on a team that made it to

the CIF Southern Section playoffs for the first time in school

history.

For the soccer team, Werblin will be among a group of players who

have set the bar high. Last season, the Lightning lost to Fairmont

Prep, 1-0, in the first round of the CIF Division VI playoffs. The

biggest goal this season is to get farther than that, Ray said.

So far, the team is on track without a single loss.

“Our team is confident now,” Ray said. “We know if we work hard we

can win and go far.”