Huskies hope unity will be powerful on the pitch

The Huskies have a number of girls apparently on the same wavelength.

Douglas County High School girls soccer has 16 athletes who are also great students and working toward a common goal, coach Ron Kingrey said.

“The most exciting thing to watch will be how we function as one team rather than 11 individuals,” Kingrey said.

Last year, the Huskies finished with an overall record of 8-6-1. This season, five of their starters are back for more damage in the Continental League, including Hailey Seeman, Ali Kern, Alisha Pena, Cassie Fischer and Shelbi Durbin. Seeman, Kern and Pena are expected to provide the team’s leadership this season.

“They have taken a leadership role in the off-season,” the coach said.

Between the pipes, junior goalkeeper Anna Sassman is expected to step up her contribution as well.

Kingrey said the Continental League should be topped by defending Class 5A champion Mountain Vista, followed by Heritage and Chaparral. The rest are in for a battle.

“Everybody else will be fighting for a playoff spot,” Kingrey said.

As for the Huskies, team unity could be their biggest weapon since they lack spotlight individuals.

“We don’t have the level of talent that some of these teams do,” the coach said.

Another challenge for County, like many preps programs, is struggling with the influence of competitive club programs. Kingrey said overall there is an issue, but locally, the Huskies have been fortunate.

“High school soccer is fighting with academy programs affiliated with club soccer,” he said. “Many clubs are telling their players that they can’t play high school.

“Fortunately for us, our feeder club has continued to be supportive of high school, so the kids get the best of both worlds.”