Despite returning nine starters from last season, the Madison Blue Streaks enter the 2023 with a lot of unknowns.
Those unknowns have less to do with the makeup of Madison’s roster and more to do with the fact the Blue Streaks have joined the Chagrin Valley Conference after competing in the Western Reserve Conference in the past.
The Blue Streaks quickly will have to adjust to their new league to make a run at the conference title.
“Getting everyone back aside from our two seniors who graduated last year is a huge benefit,” said 10th-year Madison coach Chad Butler. “It already feels like we are way ahead of where we were when we started last season. The potential is endless, but we are largely unproven.”
The Blue Streaks finished fourth in the WRC last fall. They hope to make a run at the CVC Lake Division title this season.
To do that, Butler has focused on shoring up the back line as both graduated seniors were defenders.
“A lot of our preseason was spent getting the new members to jell with the others and our defensive record leading up to the season shows it has been working,” he said. “We cannot waste any opportunity to improve. Every second we spend standing still is one that another team will catch us.”
Madison’s top returning players included juniors Reese Meister, Lillia Van Kirk, and Taylor MacAdam, and seniors Lizzie Keller and Claire Wakim.
Meister scored 20 goals and added four assists from her forward position last fall on the way to earning All-WRC and first-team All-Greater Cleveland honors.
“Reese has continued to grow from her sophomore year,” Butler said. “She already had the poise of a mature striker ready to make defenses pay for even minor offenses. This year, she has proven capable of influencing the game at every level and doing whatever is needed to get a win.”
Van Kirk, another forward, contributed last season with five goals and five assists. She earned All-WRC honors and was an honorable mention All-Greater Cleveland selection.
“Lily started last year following Reese’s lead but ended it as a force all her own capable of creating a threatening attack out of nothing,” Butler said. “Her speed and fearless physicality make her just as likely to win possession through the midfield as she is to spring through the defensive line on a counterattack.”
MacAdam missed most of last season with a health issue but has returned to mind the net for the Blue Streaks this fall.
“Last season, after the very first game, Taylor was diagnosed with a blood clot that held her out all season,” Butler said. “Though her sister did an admirable job stepping into that role–a position she never played, we are excited to have our keeper back.”
Keller, a midfielder, recorded one goal with six assists last fall.
“Lizzie tied for most assists on our team last season thanks to her ability to see up the field and pinpoint accuracy on the long ball,” Butler said. “For her senior year, she has returned with a much more aggressive ball-winning presence along with a finely developed skill to dribble through traffic.”
Wakim will take on a greater leadership role for the Blue Streaks. She was an All-WRC and second-team All-Greater Cleveland selection last fall.
“Claire has gone from captaining just the defense last year to being the overall team captain and respected leader,” Butler said. “Her ability to organize the squad in transition is as exceptional as her skill at cutting out attacking threats and returning the ball to our midfield.”
Butler is confident his team will have a say in how the Lake Division shakes out this fall, but his players have to step up to the challenge and gain experience and confidence early in the season to make a run later this fall.
“The biggest challenge is getting an untested team with talent to understand and believe that their strengths are more than enough to get the result,” he said. “We cannot play like the team of last year which was full of new faces and rookie starters.”
