PEABODY — There’s plenty of optimism among players and coaches alike that 2023 could be shaping up to be a special season for the Peabody girls soccer team.
The Tanners finished the 2022 regular season 7-8-2. As the 20th seed in the Division 1 state tournament, the Tanners were eliminated in the first round by No. 36 Durfee, 2-1.
But this year, with eight returning starters, including two-year starting goalkeeper Eva Joyce, things are in place for the Tanners to get back to their winning ways. The team has a new coaching staff in interim head coach Joy Wallace (helping out while head coach Andrew Douglas is sidelined) and assistant coach Matt Stone, who coached the junior varsity squad last year. Both of them are confident that the team’s talent level has stepped up significantly.
“We have a lot of great girls on this team coming back from last year and also some new girls coming in as freshmen,” Stone said. “I think this team might be a little better than last year’s from what we’ve seen so far.”
Seniors Logan Lomasney (D) and Joyce and juniors Ally Bettencourt (F) and Connie Patturelli (CM) will serve as captains this year.
“They are leaders on and off the field,” Wallace said. “They each bring their own specialty particularly since they play different positions. Connie has a lot of soccer skills and is talking to and teaching the other kids. Ally is one of those leaders who is vocal and is ready to go. Logan is one of those quiet, strong leaders who leads by example. Eva sets the tone in goal and is really good at seeing the field and communicating with the defense.”
Other players returning from last year are seniors Gianna Sinibaldi (F) and Stella D’Ambrosio (MF), juniors Brooke Lomasney (MF), Jess Steed (MF), Madi Barrett (D), Alessandra Forgione (GK), and Jane Haight (F).
New to the varsity are junior Ava Champigny (D) and freshmen Gabby Meola (D), Victoria Vaz (MF), Cara Corriveau (MF), Marley Loring (D), and Avery Marcus (MF).
Both coaches were pleased with the Tanners’ performance in Monday’s scrimmage against visiting Georgetown.
“Georgetown had some great defense and quickness so it was pretty back and forth,” Wallace said. “I was very impressed with the girls’ energy and cardio, keeping up for the full 80 minutes. We utilized all of the girls so we could see how they could hold up, so overall it was a great day.”
Wallace said she was especially impressed with some of the freshmen.
“They did really well, especially Avery Marcus who got a great cross. Defensively, Marley (Loring) and Gabby (Meola) did a great job as well. I also thought junior Brooke Lomasney was solid in the middle. She’s our Energizer bunny,” Wallace said.
“The girls showed a ton of energy and kept fighting the whole game, so to be able to do a lot of good things this early in the season is a great sign,” Stone said. “We were able to move some people around and I thought the girls really came in ready to play”
Joyce said she believes the team is already stronger than last year’s team was at the start of the season.
“I’m seeing so much chemistry from the incoming class,” Joyce said. “They came to every practice this summer so we’ve already grown so much as a team.”
Patturelli agreed with Joyce about the positive impact of working hard over the summer.
“It helped us bond and know what we have to do,” Patturelli said. “Today we had good on-field communication on the field. We definitely worked well together and played as hard as we could.”
Logan Lomasney feels the Tanners’ defense is “the best defensive line we’ve had in a while. We’ve never been this deep with six or seven people deep off the bench for defenders, especially with the freshman. I feel this is a really, really good start.”
Bettencourt believes this year’s team has the talent to step up.
“We have a good opportunity to be successful this year. We’re a relatively young team, but we have a lot of talent. This team can compete. It just takes time and practice,” she said.
Peabody opens the season Wednesday, Sept. 6 at home against Danvers (4).
“Danvers is always one of the best teams in the Northeastern Conference so we’ll be able to see what we have right away,” Stone said. “Danvers and Masco are always the toughest teams for us.”
