GIRLS SOCCER (continued)
  Still, despite a success both during the regular season and in the tourney over the last four seasons, Stevenson knows that the Middlesex League offers tough competition each year.  
“[It] is really competitive and we tend to be right in the middle,” said Stevenson.
Serving as tri-captains this year are goalkeeper Danielle Resha, forward Kate Nixon and central midfielder Leah Merullo. Stevenson is pleased with the work the captains have put in not only during this practice season but also during their tenure with the team.      
Stevenson is very excited to have goalkeeper Resha back for her second year in net for the varsity girls.  
“She is a natural, talented keeper,” said Stevenson. “She has worked real hard on her fitness and strength and is ready to lead our team to success.”  
Nixon is expected to get the lion’s share of time at the right forward position, as Stevenson likes having her ability to serve the ball in the box in the game. Another returning senior, dominant central midfielder Leah Merullo, is struggling with a back injury at the start of the season and Stevenson is not sure when she can expect Merullo to return to action.  
The 2010 edition of the team features a good mixture throughout the grade levels. The three captains are joined by fellow seniors Alyssa Chankhour, who will be playing her third year at the varsity level this year, and Caitlyn Sullivan and Nicole Mansour, both of whom will begin their second year at the varsity level. These seniors hope to mentor the impressive crop of underclassmen joining and returning to the team this year.
Sullivan will likely begin the season swapping injury tales with Merullo. Sullivan is an outside midfielder who always gives her best effort on the field every game. Stevenson predicts big things from Chankhour this year.
“She has a great sense of the game,” said Stevenson. “She will be an impact player this season.”  
The versatile Mansour rounds out the senior squad. Stevenson is impressed with the work that Mansour put in during the off-season and praises her ability to play anywhere on the field, including in net.  
The squad returns three juniors this year, and each will begin their second season on the team. Tori Berg will have big shoes to fill, as she takes over for all-star sweeper back Kelsey Delaney. Stevenson is confident that Berg has what it takes to fill the void left by the graduating Delaney.  
“[Tori] was a solid outside back last year and did a great job,” remarked Stevenson. “She is ready to step up and dominate the field.”  
Joining Berg are fellow juniors Allana DiNapoli and Abby McGrath. Stevenson credits DiNapoli for being a “feisty forward who loves to be part of the action,” and she feels McGrath is ready to “step up and dominate the backfield.”
Last year’s squad featured five freshman on the team: Abbey DiCredico, Alana Chankhour, Alana Parsons, Kaitlyn Manning and Amanda Ingalls. That quintet returns this year and Stevenson is looking forward to seeing their contributions on the field this year.  
“All of these girls gained valuable experience last season,” said Stevenson.  
DiCredico started as a freshman last year and Stevenson believes she is one of the team’s most experienced soccer players. She returns to center midfield this year, though she may see some time at the forward position. Manning and Chankhour will both see time playing outside midfield, where they have both excelled during the pre-season. Stevenson expects Ingalls' speed to help her dominate as a starting outside marking back, while she praises the work put in by Parsons, who will ply her trade in the backfield this year.
Six girls will lace up their cleats as varsity soccer players for the first time this year, including transfer student Lauren Peduto. Stevenson believes Peduto, a transfer from Bishop Fenwick, will be a “great addition to our team.” Stevenson expects Peduto to see time at the stopper back position, as well as the midfielder position. Other new sophomores include Alana DeSimone, Lauren Sullivan and Jamie Berg. Stevenson is excited to see what they bring to the team after each performed admirably during the pre-season.
This year’s team boasts two freshmen in the persons of Kristi McNall and Amy Shea. Stevenson believes McNall is a natural athlete who will see time in the forward and midfield position and is excited by the versatility that Shea offers, having played some sweeper, stopper, midfield and forward during the pre-season.
Not to be overlooked, though, is the fact that Wakefield lost six key players from its program in all-star Delaney, Shannon Cronin, Emily Nixon, Meghan Papagno, Maddy Spiers and Sam Wilkinson.  
“All of these girls were impact starting players,” remarked Stevenson. “We are a young team this year and we are regrouping all over the field.”
Despite the losses, Stevenson is confident in the current core of girls and hopes they can build upon what they have already started.  
“The key to our success,” said Stevenson. “will be to keep working hard day in and day out, improve our overall conditioning and work our attacking game to put teams under pressure.”  
Stevenson is confident that she has the personnel under her guidance capable of doing just that.
The opening whistle to the girls season will sound at 3:45 p.m. at Walton Field on Wednesday, when the girls take on neighboring Stoneham. Though a successful tourney run is fresh on the minds and dreams of all, Stevenson knows you can not look past each game.  
“Our goal is to focus on one day at a time and improve every day,” notes Stevenson.

BOYS SOCCER (continued)

Led by captains Michael Stackhouse, Nakia Brown and Mario Miller, the Warriors will have 17 varsity players, with six full-time varsity players returning and two who were called up during the season.
“That’s obviously going to be a challenge for us. We graduated three starting backs from last year. Sam Bridges would be returning but it looks like he will be out for the year with an illness. So, we are starting from scratch in the back,” he noted.
“We’ve got kids who haven’t played varsity time back there. We’re going to be relying on some of our returning varsity players to take on different roles. Then obviously, some of last year’s juniors, now seniors on varsity for the first time, (will be) stepping up and filling those spots.”
Miller, who was the backup goalkeeper last year, seeing some time in net though mainly staying out front, will take on the job of full-time keeper.
“He’s very skilled and should, if he plays up to his potential, be one of the best keepers in the league this year. He was our backup keeper last year but he has tremendous field player abilities as well. He’s a very skilled player. Last year we relied on him on the field because we had a strong keeper in Ryan DiBenedetto. Mario is very capable in net, so we’re very strong in that regard,” said Hochberg.
In terms of numbers, the majority of Hochberg’s players are midfield players.
“We lack the strong presence up front and at the back, as I mentioned earlier,” he added.
Up front will be Brown and freshman Chris McNall, whom Hochberg praised, saying that McNall, “has really outplayed everybody both in Wakefield and outside of Wakefield. He’s not yet the best player on the field but he has the potential to be if he continues to work as hard as he has.”
After that it’ll be “forwards by committee,” according to Hochberg.
“J.J. Palano might get some time up there. Ryan Doherty, who is on JV this year but was a call up last year and could be again this year, depending on how hard he works. That’s pretty much who we have right now. There’s going to be some movement during the season, I think it’s fair to say. The kids know that. They know that that’s a possibility. ”
After a four-team jamboree, which saw his squad finish with a 1-1-1 record, Hochberg liked what he saw.
“Not bad, overall. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. We’ve been putting in a somewhat new system. They’re struggling with it, as far as the learning curve but their effort toward learning it and applying it on the field has been really good,” he said.
One technical aspect that Hochberg hopes to take greater advantage of this season is the team’s Web site, which will feature pictures of players with brief bios, pictures of the kids and a player of the week.
The Warriors open up the regular season tomorrow afternoon at 3:45 p.m. against Stoneham at Stoneham High School.