EASTHAM — The Nauset Regional High School boys soccer program has been stellar for years. The team goes through undefeated streaks, accumulates league and state titles, and has pumped out some fine college recruits. The program shows no signs of slowing down, as the boys remain undefeated so far this season.
Over the last couple of seasons, the girls soccer program at Nauset has quietly begun to match its counterpart’s success. Last fall, the girls went 8-2-2 under new coach Tom Pollert, and this season the team is looking to go 8-0 for the first time in program history.
“We wanted to prove ourselves to the school,” goalkeeper Brady Deschamps said during the team’s Monday afternoon practice.
The Warriors made it to the Cape & Islands League Championship last year, but ultimately lost to the Barnstable Red Hawks in penalty kicks. It was a tough pill for the team to swallow in an otherwise standout season.
“It’s something the girls worked for all summer, to get that bad taste out of their mouths,” Pollert said Monday.
Pollert previously coached both men’s and women’s soccer teams at Franklin College in Indiana and at the College of Southern Maryland.
Now, Pollert and the 17 returning players from last year’s team find themselves in a situation not unlike the one they faced last year: the team is doing very well and has not been beaten through seven contests. Last year at this point, the team had won six and tied twice.
Of the 17 veterans, 10 were starters last year, and nine are now seniors. The group is solid from front to back. Deschamps, Riley Craven, Faye Lindberg, Mimi Bois, and Kate Kennard are senior captains who provide strong leadership. Deschamps, the goalkeeper, allowed just five goals through the first seven games.
Last year, the team had only two days of preseason play because of Covid-19 protocols. But this year, the team held its preseason more than a week before school started, along with captains’ practices during the summer.
That has helped the team bond, Deschamps said, though it’s hard to imagine these players being much tighter. Many of the seniors on the team have played together since fourth grade, starting in local club soccer.
It’s not just the seniors who are standing out. Sophomores Caroline Kennard (Kate’s sister) and Olivia Avellar might be the most talented athletes on the team. Caroline is the team’s leading scorer.
“Caroline and Olivia are very strong players,” captain Riley Craven said. “They’re vital to our team.” Even freshman Pepper Escher, who plays backup goalkeeper to Deschamps, was strong enough to make the varsity squad.
In his coaching, Pollert emphasizes possession. He wants his team to control the ball for most of the game and let scoring chances open up as players pass and move the ball around the field. This strategy differs from one focused on booting the ball downfield to just a couple of skilled attackers.
Pollert runs a tight practice. In every drill, he makes that known by pausing play at times to get the girls’ attention when he sees something he doesn’t like.
“Coach is very serious on the field,” Deschamps said. “But he’s wicked fun outside of games.”
The team hasn’t faced many out-of-conference opponents yet. But a 4-0 win over Barnstable and a 4-2 win over Sandwich were promising in-conference victories. The team is scheduled to face Bridgewater-Raynham on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 5 p.m., and that game will probably be its biggest test of the season.
State postseason play will be different this year. Traditionally, there have been south and north divisions, made up of the best teams in the state ranked solely by regular season record. At the end of the tournament, the winner of the north division plays the winner of the south division.
This year, teams will be thrown into one playoff pool and their rankings will be based on more than just their win-loss records. Strength of schedule will also be a factor. For that reason, Nauset could go undefeated but still not get the first seed in the state playoffs. Pollert is hoping the team does well enough to get home-field advantage.
This is a team whose members consider themselves mentally tough, and they’re determined to do even better than they did last season.
Craven bluntly said the Warriors want revenge for their loss in last year’s conference championship.
“This is the best team I’ve ever seen here,” she said. “We’ve adapted through the years. It’s been a long time coming.”
