The Vero Beach High varsity girls soccer team made the debut of Head Coach Daniel Dickens very satisfying last week by defeating Jensen Beach 5-1 in the regular season opener for both teams at the Hobart Complex.
Alexa Todd scored twice while Chynna McGirt, Kara Mashburn and Nicole McClain added a goal apiece to pace a balanced attack. Ashley Campbell made three saves in goal behind a solid defense. This was in many ways the formula for success that Dickens would like to see play out over the course of the season.
“With the exception of my goalie, I am counting on everybody out on the field to put the ball in the back of the net,” Dickens said. “The way we play I empower a lot of the players to move up the field in certain circumstances. My center backs don’t normally go up the field, but on corner plays or set plays even they have that ability.
“I expect scoring from everywhere and I don’t want to single anyone out. I honestly believe that everyone on my bench has the ability to put the ball in the net. Kara Mashburn was on the field against Jensen Beach for only six minutes and scored a goal.”
More scoring punch arrived as the season started after two girls fulfilled previous commitments. Dickens says Makenzie Burton and Tori Dorr play at a high level and will be able to contribute immediately. But there is one clear-cut standout.
“That would be our striker Nicole McClain,” Dickens said. “She is a phenomenal player.”
The defense is anchored by center backs Hannah Hartline and Cate Taylor. Erin Keenan on the outside left and Kirsten Mohr on the right will look to be offense-minded when not fending off attackers in front of keeper Ashley Campbell. JV freshman Lucia Romero is working her way into the mix as an occasional backup for Campbell.
“That’s our defense right there. Other players are going to have some chances to rotate in, but my two center backs are definitely the foundation of that defense.
Dickens was handed an experienced roster of 11 seniors, eight juniors and one sophomore that had for the most part been together for several years. That can be a tricky situation to navigate.
“I had never seen the girls play, so it was a clean slate for everybody,” Dickens said, recalling his introduction to the team. “During trials it became clear how this team was built. Some girls got shuffled around a little bit. We had to deal with working through those kinds of things.
“But it created an atmosphere where people knew that they had to give their best effort every day, show up to play, and take nothing for granted. I realized that the majority of the girls actually believe in that philosophy.”
Dickens coached boys soccer at Sebastian River High for the past two years, but hadn’t coached girls since “a bunch of years ago in New Hampshire.” When the job at Vero opened up, he couldn’t throw his hat into the ring quickly enough.
“I love the game of soccer and there is no better program to be involved with. I preach relationships and family. By focusing on what it means to work for each other as a unit, everything else takes care of itself.”
The plan for a widespread distribution in scoring also applies to the more intangible quality of leadership. Dickens says, “I expect everybody on the team to be a leader. You always want to find leaders and we expect leadership from the top down and the bottom up.”
Still in all, two girls stood out in easing the transition to a new coach. Senior Co-Captains McClain and Hartline were perfectly suited for the roles.
“They have this sense of just how things need to be,” Dickens told us. “Because of their relationships with the other girls, they just stepped in as an extension of me. They understand what I’m trying to promote, but they also understand the players because of their history together.”
‘This is my fourth year on the varsity,” McClain said. “This team is definitely more bonded that it has been in the past. Most of us played together at some point when we were younger, so we all get along and know each other really well. It really helps when you can tell what a teammate is going to do on the field.
“As the striker I’m called upon to score, but everyone has that ability. There are no stars on this team.
“I would like to get to states this year. We made it to the state championship game as sophomores and lost to St. Thomas Aquinas. This is basically the same team, but with more experience. I see states as a real possibility.”
Hartline is prepared to do whatever it takes. She said, “I’m primarily a center back, but I can go wherever the team demands. Our defense plays very well together and we are good at handling pressure. Ashley Campbell is a phenomenal keeper and she is continually evolving to improve her game.
“All of these girls make our team great. And our new coach is wonderful. We are really glad to have him.”
