Girls varsity soccer ends remarkable season

The girls varsity soccer team suffered a heartbreaking loss after being shut out by Walsh in the Kent Division I district final this past Saturday at Nordonia High School. The four-time defending state champion Warriors won 2-0 and are now headed to the regional semifinals to face off against Strongsville.

The Comets were only allowed one shot on goal in the second half and it seemed to be that the Warriors’ defense was simply too stifling to overcome. Walsh was able to coordinate a well-balanced offensive game, scoring one goal in the first half and another off a corner kick header in the second. Despite the Comets falling a bit short in their most recent playoff game, the season as a whole was definitely one to remember.

For Lauren Caminati, head coach of the SHS varsity team, the season wasn’t without its faults– but Caminati understands that the splendor of any season lies in team growth and conquering obstacles once thought to be unyielding.

“In my 12 years of coaching this has been my most challenging , yet most rewarding season,” Caminati said. “We played a competitive schedule and the team had to learn that what they put into their training and the effort they give in practice carries over to the field. Our team had to go through a rough patch in order to grow and learn from it. It is all about peaking at the right time and playing your best during the playoffs and we clearly did that this season.”

Caminati said she learned to embrace the struggles of molding high schoolers into a great team and the resilience that each player showed when it mattered most.

“This group of girls pushed me to be a better coach,” Caminati said. “It was a challenge trying to get girls to hold each other accountable since they were such good friends. I am proud of these girls for rallying together at the end of the season and figuring out what worked best for the team to succeed.”

As Coach Caminati stated, it took time for the team to realize their full potential after struggling in the earlier half of the year. Cate Mandry,  junior and outside defender for the Comets, disclosed just what allowed them to turn the tide and illustrated just how meaningful player-coach communication really is.

“In the middle of the season the team went through a bumpy patch and the coaches reached out to us for our opinions,” Mandry said. “This helped the coaches see things from our perspective and ultimately I think it helped us in being successful later in the season. Having four coaches with different styles of leadership and motivation helps; especially knowing we all respond differently and benefit from different approaches.”

Mandry also explained just how this season stacked up against her previous ones and also how it will be used as a major stepping stone for future successful seasons.

“This season, compared to others in the past, has been the most successful in the years I’ve played,” Mandry said. “Although during the season we didn’t have the best record, I think once we started playoffs we all wanted to play and win for each other and our seniors. It was so exciting to go as far as we did in playoffs and I hope we do that next year and the program continues to do that years down the line.”

Jane Sensibaugh, senior and co-captain of the team, described the odds that the squad was forced to overcome. The Comets hadn’t made it to the district finals in three years and were overt underdogs.

“We never gave up and never stopped fighting no matter how hard the games were,” Sensibaugh said. “We had a lot of really tough games leading up to the finals and we were able to upset the third and second seeds in the bracket before going into play Walsh.”

After four years of playing goalie for the Comets, Sensibaugh is headed to the University of Cincinnati where she will compete at the collegiate level. However, it is a bittersweet feeling as she will have to say goodbye to a team that has given her so much.

“There are so many memories that I have made with this group of girls over the years that I will remember for the rest of my life,” Sensibaugh said. “These girls became a family to me and there are so many things that I will miss about playing with them. I have learned so much over the years both technically and tactically from my coaches and teammates. But most importantly, I have gained confidence in myself and my teammates that I will carry with me forever and will help me in my future careers both athletically and professionally.”

No matter the outcome, this year’s varsity team won and loss as a team. As they say goodbye to their seniors (Alyssa Brodsky, Meghan Komorowski, Lexi Hirsh, Anna Posta and Jane Sensibaugh) and prepare for next year, Caminati noted that the team’s chemistry and compassion for each other will continue to drive this program forward as it seemingly always has.

“This group of girls are extremely kind and caring and were truly a family on and off the field,” Caminati said. “They always had each other’s best interests at heart.”