Collegiate soccer is ready to defend its LIS title

The Cougars have been ranked in the first spot of the last two VISAA polls with Norfolk Academy close behind, a team that recently battled with the Cougars in a thrilling down-to-the-wire affair.

The Bulldogs handed the Cougars a rare loss in that matchup on April 28, scoring the game-winner in the final seconds after the Cougars fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit with goals from juniors Presley Garst and Kenley Campbell. The loss put Collegiate’s record at 10-5-1 on the season, and though it may have stung in the moment, head coach Rob Ukrop is focused more on the team’s preparation and confidence heading into the postseason.

“The girls have been fighting and working for each other, and our goal isn’t to win all our games, though that’s nice, our goal is to peak at the right time when we get into the LIS Tournament and later the state tournament,” Ukrop said.

That composure is vital for a generally young team. Last year, the title-winning Cougars relied on a starting lineup that featured three freshmen, including leading goal-scorer Ryan Lewis, who had her season cut short due to a knee injury, and Kate Smigelski, who scored the game-winning goal of the LIS Championship. Now, those freshmen have another year under their belts.

“They’re starting to show their composure and their ability to contribute,” Ukrop said of his young core of playmakers. “It’s important to get these girls battle-tested so when we get into the state tournament we’re prepared.”

Lewis is also back in the lineup, returning from the injury in spectacular fashion by continuing to lead the team in goals with nine in 15 games.

“We’re really pleased with her progress,” Ukrop said. “She’s played some important minutes for us and does attract a lot of attention.”

The young crop of rising talent isn’t alone in leading the Cougars though. Two of the team’s three captains are senior defenders in Virginia Vallowe and Frances Thackston, while goalie Addison Thompson continues to impress protecting the net. Thackston will not be able to finish out the season after tearing her ACL earlier in the season, but even when she can’t contribute on the field, her positive spirit and attitude has made her like an additional coach to motivate the team through the rest of the season.

The team’s third captain is Campbell, a holding midfielder who Ukrop considers the team’s most consistent player. Campbell missed all of last season with an ACL injury, but has returned as a tone-setting, do-it-all threat that’s made life easier for attacking forwards like Smigelski and juniors Claire Curtis and Garst.

With all these weapons on offense, the Cougars have built a truly balanced attack that features eight players with at least two goals and nine different players with at least one game-winning goal.

At this stage of the season, Ukrop knows there’s a level of fatigue between athletics and academics for his players. It was something he noticed especially during a six-game stretch where the team went 2-3-1 with losses against public school giants like Cosby and Freeman, two of the toughest teams to play in the state this year.

Not wanting to put too much mileage on them, he and his trusted assistants Allison Albright and Michael Blair have prioritized using practice time as a way to get the team prepared without being overworked for the rest of their season schedule.

“Our mantra for the team is to compete with purpose and play with joy so we’re trying to find that balance every day,” Ukrop said. “It’s important to us that when the girls come out for practice, that’s an hour and a half that’s sacred that separates from whatever’s going on in their home life and school life and all other social things.”

Both the purpose and the joy will be evident in the team’s upcoming senior night bout versus rival St. Catherine’s. The Cougars will recognize six seniors and potentially clinch the regular season title in the process with a win or tie.