With just five returning starters from the squad that reached the Division II state championship game and finished 22-2 overall last fall, the Chagrin Falls girls’ soccer team is in a bit of a rebuilding mode.
But, that hasn’t changed how the Tigers will approach the new season.
“Our focus is always on being a fundamentally sound team,” said Chagrin Falls coach Pamela Malone, who enters her 26th year at the school. “We emphasize speed of play, possession, quick decision making on the field, fitness and the understanding that it is hard to beat a team that plays as a team, regardless of other teams’ superstars.”
The Tigers, who played in their fifth state tournament last season, do have 15 returning lettermen.
Malone’s challenge is to find the perfect fit for each player to balance the team’s talent with its inexperience.
“This team has come together nicely in the preseason,” Malone said. “It’s always a puzzle to put the right players in the right positions.”
Despite the relative youth of the squad, the Tigers have familiar goals.
“Our goals are always the same: take the season one game at a time, build from the experiences and get prepared for the postseason run,” Malone said.
Malone will rely on a tried and true formula to lead the Tigers to another successful season in 2017.
“Once again we will be a fundamentally sound team,” she said. “(We’ll) emphasize our speed, possession game, set plays, fitness and grit.”
