LYNN — Ed McNeil has no qualms about admitting what his English girls soccer team has to do this season to win in the newly-aligned Northeastern Conference.
“We’ll be a defensive team,” he said, “and we’ll depend on Alexa Zayas to score goals.”
Zayas, a senior tri-captain, is the striker and principal offensive threat for the Bulldogs.
“She has very good foot skills,” said McNeil.
Two years ago, as a sophomore, Zayas scored 10 goals and the Bulldogs won six games. But last year, as the one identifiable Bulldog that teams could mark, she tailed off to just three.
“We didn’t score many goals last season,” McNeil admits.
English graduated 13 seniors from last year’s team, eight of them starters. None was more valuable to McNeil than Emma Trahant, whom he will miss “both as a player and a person.” Already this season at Curry, Trahant has scored a goal in a scrimmage game.
This season, when the ‘Dogs won’t have to play the perennial Northeastern Conference powers due to league consolidation, McNeil will have nine seniors with most of them starting. His iron will be the back line, and includes Tora Ueland, Grace Gately, Sydney Denham and Lauren Moorehouse (Gately and Denham are captains). McNeil will also rely on his senior keeper Tommi Hill, who split time last year but has the job all to herself this upcoming season. Hill is a three-sport star for the Bulldogs, also playing basketball and softball.
Other returning seniors are Tressa Demirs, Abby Geaney and Bridget Sanchez.
This season, the Northeastern Conference has taken on four schools from the Greater Boston League: Everett, Malden, Medford and Somerville. Two of those teams, Malden and Everett, will play in a league that also contains Classical, English, Saugus, Winthrop, Salem, Revere and Gloucester.
McNeil approves.
“The new league alignments benefits us and benefits Classical,” said McNeil.
Under the format, each team plays the other twice. In addition, English will play St. Mary’s in the Lynn City Invitational Tournament (“that’ll be a tough game for us,” McNeil said) and two non-leaguers against East Boston and Pope John.
“I think those will be competitive games,” he said. “I’m not necessarily looking for easy wins.”
Gone from his schedule are Peabody, Beverly, Swampscott, Marblehead and Danvers. Those schools will be joined by Medford and Somerville in the other NEC division.
“We have never beaten those teams,” said McNeil. “Those teams have dominated. We’ve had a couple of ties, but never a win.”
The Bulldogs open on the road Sept. 11 against Gloucester.
An interesting sidenote to the English girls soccer program is the fact that however much the team has struggled over the years, it’s remained competitive with crosstown rival Classical. This year, McNeil said, will be no different, especially since he helped Mark Ierardi, the new coach for the Rams, get started.
However, in the 27 games English has played against Classical in the McNeil era, which is heading into its 13th year, his record against the Rams stands at 9-9-9. He also went six years without a loss to Classical.
