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Sports

Madison Girls Soccer Expectations High

Team hopes to take the next step in 2010

Coming off of its most successful season in 12 years, a season which saw the Madison girls soccer team go 10-9-2, including a state sectional playoff run ending with a semifinal loss to cross-town rival Chatham, expectations for 2010 are soaring.  

Those expectations are not only coming from preseason prognosticators and Madison fans alike, but right inside the locker room from the players and sixth-year head coach Kevin Lynott.

"That was our first winning season since I've been here and from what I gather, that was our first winning season in 12 years," he said before practice last week. "We had a run in the state sectionals, losing in the semifinals to Chatham, 3-1. So we're coming off the back of a very good season, and with that is the added pressure of expectations being higher."

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The 2010 version of the Dodgers also has a lot of talent returning, some of which was missing from the somewhat shocking sectional run from a year ago. Not only does this support the expectations, it fuels them.

Leading the team as a senior is midfielder Samantha Ciccone. Lynott believes that the team will look to the four-year starter for inspiration, as well as rely on her experience.

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"Sam is our most senior player," Lynott said. "A four-year varsity starter as a center midfielder, so a lot of the responsibility falls on her shoulders."

And Ciccone isn't backing down.

"We got the farthest we've ever gotten last year and we only lost three seniors, so this year we have a young team, but I really think we're going to do better than we did last year. A lot better," she said, reaffirming the team's expectations.

Another player who the team is counting on to step up is junior forward Catherine Zimmerman. Zimmerman, who missed much of last season with a concussion, is a huge contributor on offense and will be depended on to produce this season.

"The return of Zimmerman, who's an excellent forward, is huge," Lynott explained. "She was out last season with an injury, but she's the real deal. A high quality player."

Ciccone agrees, saying, "I think we're pretty strong with Zimmerman coming back. She was our leading scorer last year, when she wasn't out with a concussion, but she's really good and I think we'll score a lot of goals with her back."

While Madison will lean on Zimmerman to score goals, Lynott thinks the real strength of the team could come from the back line.

"Last season they surprised me defensively," he explained. "We had more or less one senior on the back line and defensively, we were very good. We're hoping to build on that success."

So with such a young and promising team, what can the coach hope to get from his seasoned players?

"We have some juniors who are experienced players, like Zimmerman and Rebecca Levin, who have played at the varsity level," Lynott said. "Between the three of them (Zimmerman, Levin and Ciccone), they've got the experience, so that's really where I'm looking for the leadership. They lead the way, that's the inspiration for the rest of the team."

The future of the Dodgers looks very bright, a phrase that hasn't been uttered in quite some time, and it's clear that no one is taking it for granted.

"You know what, we've got to deliver," Lynott said. "We're a pretty young team, so the expectations are only going to grow."

Madison will open its season this Saturday at 10 a.m. at Morris Hills.

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