CM Girls Soccer Ready to Go

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – There is a nice mix of veterans and newcomers in the Central Mountain girls’ soccer program. 33 squad members are vying for game time, including eight letter-winners.

Jeff Brinker is into his second year as head coach of the girls’ program after a long stretch directing the boys’ program and said he likes what he sees so far. As for goals this year, he said, it’s all about being competitive: “The goal is to go out and compete each game until the final whistle is blown. I expect the girls to do their best, play for one another, and the wins and losses will work themselves out in the end. We are going to do everything we can to win.”

Like programs all across the state and nation, Lady Wildcat soccer has had to deal with the unanticipated distraction called COVID-19. Brinker said team members have responded well in dealing with the pandemic: “The pandemic slowed down the ability to work with the girls in the spring. But since June, our administration, trainers, athletic director and all KCSD coaching staff created a plan to get the girls back on the field safely as directed by our Governor. And since July, we have been holding volunteer practices designed around our safety plan four days a week. The girls have been awesome. Participation was high. The girls were ready to go and took advantage of opportunity to come together and do what they loved to do.”

Schedule-wise this season, it will be an all-Heartland Conference slate as the PHAC decided to play “in-house” this fall. That means all non-conference games for the Lady ‘Cats have been cancelled. With the change in season-starting dates, some PHAC contests had to be rescheduled and Central Mountain was able to add a few more games within the PHAC, resulting in a 15-game slate.

First regular season game will be Saturday, Sept. 12 at Danville, varsity at 7 p.m., jayvees at 5:30 p.m.