Co-coaches leading Green Wave kickers
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Hudson - After a season of transition saw the Hudson Catholic (HC) girls soccer team fall from the highs of an undefeated regular season in 2005 to an 8-8 season last year, which barely qualified it for postseason play, the Green Wave hopes to return to its previous form on the soccer pitch.

"We knew there would be some growing pains last year," HC coach Sean Chenevert said. "We lost 14 seniors from the previous year's team and we only had a total of 26 girls come out for the sport."

So far the returning experience has shown up in the team's won-loss record as Hudson Catholic began the week 0-3.

Chenevert will have help in the coaching box while trying to lead the Green Wave back to its previous successes. He confirmed that the Green Wave will have co-coaches this year, and that he will team up with Heather Toomey, who has served as the Westborough High girls junior varsity coach the past five seasons.

"I had an unexpected family commitment come up, something that will prevent me from devoting as much attention as necessary to the program," Chenevert said. "I feel we're lucky to have some one of Heather's ability and knowledge helping us out."

Nine sophomores started for Hudson Catholic last season and six are back in the starting lineup as juniors, the other three having decided to transfer to other schools.

Headlining the cast of returnees are junior tri-captains Shauna Geagan, Abby Manzella and Emily Barrett. Geagan, the Green Wave's leading scorer and a Central Mass. Soccer Coaches Association All-Star selection a season ago, will return to her familiar spot along the front line for HC, while Barrett will be back in the mid-field and Manzella will return to help out the defensive eff ort.

Joining Geagan up front on offense will be senior Deirdre Moran and sophomore Ashley McLaughlin, although Moran will also see time as a midfielder. Junior Ngoc Vuong will also play in the middle of the field, as will classmates Brittany Ferrecchia and Molly Rhatigan and sophomore Bethany Chaves.

Assisting Manzella with the defensive eff ort will be junior Meg Belmore and Erin Drummey. Freshmen Victoria Mazza and Julie Quinn should also see playing time on defense.

Junior Ashley Carnes is the team's starting goalie.

Chenevert said he thinks Assabet Valley and Blackstone Valley Tech are the teams to watch out for when the Green Wave gets into the Colonial Athletic League portion of its schedule.

"Both teams have a lot of returning veterans coming back to teams that enjoyed successful seasons," Chenevert said, although he was quick to point out the he was not discounting his own team's chances for league success.

"We were undefeated two years ago and won five straight league titles and now no one is even talking about us as a possibility for the league title," Chenevert said. "The girls have taken notice of that. They have brought it up, discussed it amongst themselves. They feel pretty strongly that they have something to prove as far as the league is concerned."