Saugus girls soccer set for NEC homecoming

A one-year experiment within a ruthless Cape Ann League was more than enough to convince the Saugus girls soccer team that there is truly no place like home, which, in this case, is the Northeastern Conference.Following a season-opening 0-0 draw with Pentucket, the Sachems struggled with the rigors of a CAL-heavy schedule, finishing the year with a 1-16-1 record, the lone victory coming against Rockport (3-1).Ten months later, Coach Chris Coviello and company have turned the page while readying for the kickoff of their much-anticipated homecoming party.?The Cape Ann League is an extremely tough and talented league to play in with lots of travel required,” reflected Coviello of the testing 2013 campaign, which he referred to as a “season of growing pains.”?We?ll be familiar with mostly everybody but I?m still expecting an early adjustment period,” he said. “I think we?ll be much more comfortable in the NEC.”While eliminating many a long bus ride is reason enough to celebrate, Coviello recognizes that the competition won?t get much lighter, if at all.?Make no mistake about it, the Northeastern Conference is very tough to compete with,” he explained. “In our division alone, we?ll see Danvers, Marblehead, Swampscott and Winthrop, who were playoff teams last fall.”Gloucester, the other member of the NEC (Small), will host Saugus on Wednesday, Sept. 3, in the first match of the season, under the lights.Crossover games with the Large will feature a trio of playoff teams in Beverly, Peabody and Salem to go along with Classical, English and Revere. Rounding out the schedule are non-conference tilts with the likes of Everett, Matignon and Pope John.A strong class of juniors from last season will return to the field with an extra year of experience that Coviello believes will be a “huge” difference.The Sachems will be led by a quartet of senior captains that will command the field from three different positions.Forwards Mikayla Perella and Amanda Poussard will be joined by outside midfielder Danielle Strangie and Kathryn White on defense. The former and latter were named to the CAL all-star team.Perella was named the team?s MVP last season and figures to be the focal point of the Sachems? standard 4-4-2 offense while White will provide senior goaltender Caitlin Williamson, a second-year starter, with support.?I?m truly blessed to have these girls coming back for one more season,” lauded Coviello. “They are terrific student-athletes, members of the National Honor Society and perfect role models for our promising younger crop.”Without giving away any specifics, Coviello expressed certainty that as many as three freshmen could see “significant” time to start the season.?We have a tremendous incoming class of first-year players that will step into the fire right away,” he said. “I?m very excited to see their progress throughout the year and hopefully, as a team, we can take a large step forward.”