Hess hoping balanced attack is enough to make up for loss of big scorers
By:Kyle Moylan
The Hightstown High School girls’ soccer team lost a lot of offensive power to graduation, but it should be returning enough just about everywhere else to make this a productive season.
The three big graduation losses for Hightstown were Kerry Camisa, Cara Ciallella and Kelli Emerson. While Emerson is a defender, Camisa (eight assists) and Ciallella (three assists) each scored 10 goals last season.
While Hightstown will be without its two big scorers, it will be returning a lot of girls that have proven they can put the ball in the goal.
"The scoring should be more spread out instead of two girls doing most of the scoring," Hightstown High coach Don Hess noted.
Returning on the front line will be seniors Sherri Alexandersen (four goals and four assists), Kim Christie (goal) and Kerry Ahern (two goals) and sophomores Nicole Allen (four goals and three assists) and Heather Chasen (goal).
Hightstown also returns several halfbacks that contributed to the offense last season. They are senior Melanie Pollack (three goals and four assists), juniors Haley Reimbold (one assist), Lois DeAngelis (two goals), Kristin Compton (goal) and Jill Wittenberg (assist) and sophomores Lauren Wittenberg (two goals and three assists) and Jen Edenfield (goal).
Other returning halfbacks are seniors Dana Egan and Sarah White and juniors Laura Thornley and Melissa Schwartz.
Hightstown also returns several key players on defense. Heading this list are senior fullback Shannon Scott (two assists) and senior goalie Alana Grundel.
Scott was a member of Mercer 33, NJGSCA All-State and a Second-Team All-CVC player. Grundel was Third-Team All-CVC. These two girls also join Pollack as the tri-captains on the team.
Other returning players on defense are fullbacks Natalie Sukienik, a junior, and Katelyn Scott and Kelly Jones, both sophomores. Sophomore keeper Perry Weissman is also back.
According to Hess, others players that should help include juniors Obi Onochie (halfback), Ashley Boyer (goalie) and Amisha Parikh (halfback), sophomores Allison Reppy (fullback) and Kristin Healey (goalie) and freshmen Katie Vroom (fullback), Kim Cowell (lineman), Kim Hultin-Amidei (halfback), Meghan Dolan (halfback), Caity Corrigan (halfback) and Stephanie Pinney (fullback).
Other players that should help are junior goalie Ashley Soden, sophomore halfbacks Jessica Letizia, Danielle Klapper, Jen Schettini, Becky Moore and Jessica Drewitz, lineman Katy Hamilton and fullback Kristy Houvig. Among the freshmen that should help are linemen Lisa Merrill, Caitlin White, Marissa Grunwerg, Katie McMahon, halfback Joanna Paley, goalie Lindsay Herzog and fullbacks Kelly Boyer and Alysia Townsend.
Based on what he’s seen, Hess believes his girls are already off to a good start. The season starts for real on Sept. 8 when Hightstown hosts Hopewell in a 3:45 p.m. start."I’m very pleased with our preseason so far," Hess said. "18 girls went to camp and our eight seniors should provide plenty of leadership and defensive skills.
"The schedule will be very difficult in the beginning (Hopewell, Steinert, Ewing, Notre Dame and West Windsor-Plainsboro South) and we need to do well to make the states tourney. We lost four games by one goal last year and we hope to turn that around."
Hess, in his 11th season as the girls’ soccer coach, led his team to a 7-11 mark last season. Hess is 91-76-13 in his career. Hess’ assistant coaches are Mike Fesko and Mary Anne McLaren.