Chagrin Falls opens the 2023 season with five returning starters and nine letter-winners returning from last year’s squad that played for a district title.
The Tigers, who finished 9-5-5 overall and earned a share of the Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division title with a 3-0-1 mark, once again have their sights set on the conference title and a deep postseason run.
“We have the potential to win both a conference and district title, and hopefully advance from there,” said third-year head coach Joe Ciuni. “It will be tough with Division II having so many quality teams in Northeast Ohio. We will have to help some inexperienced but talented players grow as the season progresses with the ultimate goal of being at our best come playoff time.”
Chagrin Falls has a monumental task ahead of it in replacing four seniors who were a part of the 2021 state championship run.
On top of that, the injury bug hit the Tigers, leaving them with even more cleats to fill this fall.
“We lost four senior starters from last year and we, unfortunately, had three more starters tear their ACLs in the spring, including two of our senior captains,” Ciuni said. “Our returning players include a lot of midfielders, so we will have to be versatile and adaptable as a team to help fill out the formation. As the season approaches, we are working players in different spots to find which combination fits best. We lost most of our offense and defense from last year and we will be relying on a few multi-year starters to help lead the way for younger players stepping into those roles.”
To offset the losses to the starting lineup, Ciuni will focus his team on playing smart soccer and possessing the ball to control the tempo.
“We will work hard on our decision-making and possession skills to be able to play to our strengths as passers,” he said. “We will need to be smart about putting our creative players in spaces where they can exploit the defense. With a lack of experienced depth this year we will rely on players playing multiple positions during games depending on how each individual game and opponent requires us to play.”
Up top, senior forward Lindsay Burgess will be counted on to lead the team on and off the pitch.
She scored three goals with five assists last fall in earning second-team All-CVC and honorable mention All-Greater Cleveland honors.
“Lindsay is our lone senior captain able to take the field this year,” Ciuni said. “She has done a tremendous job of leading and guiding the team so far. I am very proud of her growth and maturity over the past few seasons. On the field, she will be relied on for her excellent field vision, creativity, and overall playmaking. Lindsay is great at setting up teammates to score and I am expecting her to up her goal scoring as well.”
Juniors Brix Niethammer and Bella Radomsky return in the midfield.
Niethammer scored three goals in earning honorable mention All-CVC and All-Greater Cleveland honors while Radomsky finished off three goals with one assist.
“Brix will be the heart of our midfield this year. She sets the tone for us with her physicality and aggressive style. She is one of the hardest workers on the field and is able to combine her relentless motor with very smart tactical decisions on the field. She sees the game very well and is constantly finding great spaces on the offense and breaking up plays on defense,” Ciuni said. “Bella is probably the best overall athlete on the team while also being extremely intelligent and skilled. She can run, attack defenders one-on-one, is an aggressive defender, and is strong in the air. She will be a player we rely on this season to make game-changing/winning plays in all areas of the field. Bella has a wide variety of skills and plays with tremendous heart. As a two-year starter, we are excited to see what she can do as an upperclassman in more of a leadership role.”
Junior Maggie Goss is back on defense after earning honorable mention All-CVC honors. She scored one goal and added an assist as a sophomore.
“Maggie has gained some invaluable experience as a two-year starter at center back for us,” Ciuni said. “As the leader of the defense this season, we will rely on her to help the new additions to the back line jell as a unit. She is a great tackler of the ball and has grown her anticipation and ball-winning skills. She is one the tougher players in the area and can be the best center back in the conference.”
Minding the net is junior Izzy Pribancic, who allowed 1.21 goals per game last season.
“Izzy gained valuable experience last year and we expect her to take another step forward as a goalkeeper,” Ciuni said. “She has always been a good shot-stopper and has done very well in the offseason to develop other parts of her game. As a junior and returning starter, we will need her to take on more of a leadership role as we rebuild the back line and look to maximize our success this season.”
With a young team, Chagrin Falls must stay focused and play its game.
“We will have to be smart tactically and physically fit,” Ciuni said. “We will be relying on more players to play heavier minutes during the season because of the unexpected injuries we have suffered. We will also need to be very creative as a team and work together to set up high percentage scoring chances.”
Despite the challenges, Ciuni is optimistic his squad can achieve its goals this fall.
“I am excited to see what some of our players can do with the opportunity of more minutes and bigger roles during games,” he said. “While we were very disappointed to lose some of our players for the season, it gives others a chance now to show what they can do.”
