Wednesday, September 2, 2009
BY RONALD P. CLARK
River Dell girls soccer coach Steve Grenz has a simple theme for his team this year. Gone are three All-County players and with them a history of Grenz having players that everyone knew by name.
This time around, everyone will know this group as the Golden Hawks. “We were all speed and came through in waves,” Grenz said. “This year, we’re going to have to possess the ball and come together. The past five or six years I’ve had girls with 25 goals or more. Not to say I don’t have anybody who can do that, but nobody has that resume coming into the season.”
Grenz gets a chance to work with a solid group of seniors, juniors and a class of incoming freshmen who are looking to continue the winning ways of a team that finished with 15 wins last season.
The returnees and the potential of the newcomers are why River Dell starts the season ranked No. 9 in the North Jersey Preseason Top 25.
In Grenz’s eyes, it begins and ends with where the Golden Hawks have a chance to truly make their mark on the league and county, and that’s on defense.
Behind juniors Kirsten Eckert and Jill McGovern, the Golden Hawks should be one of the best defensive teams in the BCSL American and the county.
While Eckert, McGovern, midfielder Meghan Cotter, forward Nina Ventresco and midfielder Joan Marie Massaro make up a strong junior class, Grenz is asking a lot of his seniors as well, particularly Stacey Kufel, who will take on a new role as goalie after playing forward the past couple of years.
“It’s a work in progress,” Grenz said. “But every day she shows me something new. She consistently drop-kicks over the 50 and that’s incredible. That’s just her athletic ability coming in. She can really throw it because she’s a big-time softball player.”
Kufel, along with midfielder Stephanie Carnevale, defender Melanie Ogden and forward Alison Stephen, make up a senior class that has helped Grenz in bringing along a five-deep freshmen class counted on to adjust quickly to varsity soccer.
“I’ve been very lucky with the seniors that I have,” Grenz said. “They have really been true leaders in getting the freshmen acquainted. My job would be twice as hard without those girls.”
With a solid mix of younger and older players at his disposal, Grenz is eager to see what the season brings.
“As long as every day we get better and improve, I see that as success,” Grenz said. “You always want to play your best game to be the last game of the year.”