GAHANNA – The Lancaster girls soccer team continues to grow and improve. On July 19 and 20, the Lady Gales took another step in that upward direction by competing in the Columbus Soccer Summer Showcase at Gahanna.
Lancaster played two games on Saturday, July 19, against Grove City and Watterson and was scheduled to play two more games the next day against Thomas Worthington and Watkins Memorial.
In 2022, the Gales won their first-ever Ohio Capital Conference championship and followed it up with second-place finishes in league play the last two seasons. A year ago, at one point, the Gales had a 10-game unbeaten streak before falling short of another league title.
More than anything, playing in the showcase gave the Gales a chance to compete against other Central Ohio teams before the season officially begins.
“It lets you know where you are at real quick,” Lancaster coach Brian Griffin said. “A couple of seasons ago, we were down to 15 players in our last game, and we had to have people that we knew could play a new role, a different position and a different formation. You have to find other people for various roles, and playing in something like this is a great opportunity to do it.
“We try and get our girls to compete throughout practice and the preseason, and no job is safe so-to-speak. If somebody is pushing for your position, you have to be consistent at the level we need them to be consistent at.”
Lancaster lost a lot of talent to graduation, so it is essential to get the younger players up to speed.
“It’s nice to come out here and see how well we play together and where people fit in,” Kaleigh Spradlin said. “It helps us learn new things for the season and see what our strengths and weaknesses are, and it also helps us to learn to play together. We are just trying to figure out where people can play.”
Emma Jones added, “Whenever you have seniors graduate, you have to have other people step up and take those leadership roles, and that’s what we are trying to do, especially the upperclassmen. We are trying to fill those spots. It might take a while, but we will figure it out. The goal now is trying to play well together and play with confidence.”
There will be several freshmen on the varsity, and Griffin said the Showcase was especially good for them.
“The sooner they can understand the speed of the game, the tempo of the game, a better idea about their roles or their positions on the field, the more exposure they can get, the better it is for them and us in the long run,” Griffin said. “The program itself has come a long way. The players have bought in, and ultimately, we are trying to build better people through soccer. The wins and losses will settle themselves out, but the sooner they buy in, the sooner they become a team and have that cohesion.
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Striving to get better: Lancaster competes in Columbus Soccer Summer Showcase
Reporting by Tom Wilson, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette / Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
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