Abrianna Garrett, left, and Abby Knight of LCCC converge on the ball during preseson practice Monday at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey.
Pete Hayes/The Telegraph
LCCC’s Maria Rodriguez controls the ball as goalie Julia de Ritter. watches during a practice Monday at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey.
Pete Hayes/The Telegraph
Ella George right, moves in on goalie Agathe Boudin during an LCCC women’s soccer practice Monday at Glazebrook Park.
Pete Hayes/The Telegraph
Isabela Santana moves the ball against Anitz Zurita during an LCCC women’s soccer practice this week at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey.
Pete Hayes/The Telegraph
GODFREY – Lewis and Clark women’s soccer coach Justin Bernaix knows he’s assembled a talented group of players for the upcoming NJCAA season. Now, it’s a matter of puttiing the right pieces in the right places to finish the puzzle.
It’s a JUCO jigsaw puzzle, something familiar to all junior college coaches, no matter the sport.
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Bernaix is in the process of fitting the pieces together to secure his lineup for the season opener, set for Aug. 29 at home against Columbia State Community College.
So far, so good, he said.
“This year’s group of players work hard and are eager to learn and improve,” Bernaix said. “Also, I really appreciate the balance and versatility of the group. We have a good mix of technical, athletic players who are comfortable in multiple positions.”
It’s a common theme for Bernaix, who learned the ropes as a high school star playing for legendary coach Gene Baker at Granite City and went on to play at SIUE. He honed his coaching skills through the years with the Scott Gallagher Soccer Club.
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Bernaix was also recently hired to be the girls soccer coach at Edwardsville High School next spring, but his attention now is solely focused on the LCCC women’s team.
There are 15 new names on the Trailblazers roster.
“With so many new players in the team,” Bernaix said, “some players are still playing a bit restrained at times and are maybe a bit unwilling to show a bit more personality in training.
“I anticipate seeing more emotion from some as we spend more time together and enter our scrimmages against other schools, but we are only one week in and some new players are working to find their voice in the team.”
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LCCC is scheduled to play a preseason game Thursday at noon against Columbia College at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey.
While the men’s and women’s soccer teams still call the grass field at Tim Rooney Stadium on the LCCC campus home, most of the practices (and some of the games) take place down Stamper Lane on Glazebrook’s artificial turf.
Among the new players on the roster is sophomore Abrianna Garrett, a former Civic Memorial High standout who transferred from UMSL.
Garrett, the Telegraph Player of the Year as a senior, led the St. Louis area in scoring as a junior with 54 goals and 14 assists. She was third as a senior.
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Last year as a freshman at UMSL, Garrett saw action in 14 games and played 261 minutes.
“Abrianna is adjusting well,” said Bernaix, who coached Garrett for a time when she was a youngster with Scott Gallagher. “She’s working her way back from an ankle injury, but has been steadily regaining her mobility and becoming more active in her movements off the ball.
“Abrianna is also very team oriented, and although she is a new player in the team, her local connection with both staff, and the freshman and sophomores, makes it feel as if she has been on the team for longer.”
Garrett will be just one of the players the Blazers can turn to for goals.
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“Mafe Rodriguez chipped in a few goals last seaso,” Bernaix said, “and I feel will add more to that tally this fall. She’s crafty and finds herself in good positions in front of goal.
“We have a range of other attacking players, both midfielders and forwards, who are capable of scoring as well.”
Among them are Ella George, Paula Gomez, and Aurore Navicet-Joinny.
“Our intention is to have multiple scoring threats as we begin the season,” Bernaix said. “We have more height in the team this year as well, so I do think we will be a bigger threat on restarts than in the past couple of seasons.”
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In goal, the Trailblazers return Julia de Ritter. Last season, de Ritter posted six shutouts and had a goals-against average of 0.96 for the 7-6-3 Trailblazers.
“Julia has been great so far in training,” Beraix said. “Her athleticism and ability to make big saves will help us again this season, as well as her quality distribution when we have ball.
“Agathe Boudin is a new French goalkeeper on the team. She’s a quality shot stopper and a very good communicator from the back and has good feet as well. We also have two more goalkeepers, Ainara Ruiz and Laura Medina, who are recovering from injury, but will be fit later as we begin September.”
On defense, freshmen Abby Knight from Granite City and Kamille Grohmann from Waterloo Gibault could have an immediate impact in the center of the LCCC backline.
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Bernaix added that Maddy Kuhn, who can play both as an outside or central defender, is also a leader in the team and will be a threat going forward. Iona Rovira returns after a solid freshman season and Poppy Kendrick-Jones, from England, is another versatile outside back who likes to attack as well. Anitz Zurita, from Spain, could be a force in the heart of our midfield as well.
Showing an ability to adapt has been a team strength, Bernaix said.
“So far, this team has shown a desire to attack and we have a good level of overall technique within the team,” he said. “We have players who are adapting well to one another.”
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