G Soccer - McNeill Expects a Better Season

Sunday, July 4th, 2010
Article by: Wesley McKinney of the Dominion Post

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After his team’s 2-0 loss in the sectional championship last season to Fairmont Senior, Preston High girls’ soccer coach Dave McNeill said, “We will be more competitive next year.”
As this season approaches, McNeill still believes that statement.
“We didn’t lose any starters from last year’s team,” McNeill said. “I think we’ll be competitive in just about every game this season.”
According to McNeill, he only has one senior on this year’s team.
“We’ve only had one senior coming to the workouts so far,” he said.
The lone senior, Leticia Lewis, will be the person the Knights look to this year.
“Leticia started as a freshman on our 2007 team that won 17 games,” McNeill said. “That tells you how good she is. Leticia knows what it takes to win.”
However, McNeill isn’t comparing the 2010 Knights’ soccer team to the 2007 team that had three all-state selections and nearly won the region before losing to Fairmont Senior.
“My goal this year is have to winning season,” McNeill said.
Last year, the Knights were 6-15 and had it not been for a three minute stretch against the Polar Bears, they may have won the section.
“I definitely think the section is winnable this year,” McNeill said. “The region on the other hand will be tough with Morgantown and University having very good teams.” Aside from Lewis, the future is now for the Knights. “We have some freshmen and sophomores that are going to be key contributors on the team this year,” McNeill said. McNeill credits the talented freshmen and sophomores coming through the system as a product of the West Virginia United soccer club.
“United does an excellent of preparing the kids for high school soccer,” he said.
Lewis agrees with her coach, “We have a younger team this year. Things are really starting to come together with the younger players.”
The game of soccer relies heavily on communication from teammate to teammate while on the run. According to Lewis, her and her teammates have begun to bond to help with communication.
“We’re starting to rely on each other more and communicating on the field,” she said. “We’re bonding with each other on and off the field.”
Lewis realizes that becoming closer to her teammates will be a key in the Knights’ season.
“We started out apart from each other and we need to be closer to have a good season,” she said.
So far, during the optional three-week workout period the Knights have had around 15 each night.
“I’m expecting about 30 or so out for fall practice in August,” McNeill said.


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