AKRON — The Highland Hornets are a powerhouse program in the Greater Akron area. The Barberton Magics are a young team aiming to reach where their Suburban League rivals sit in the local girls soccer pecking order.
On Sept. 11, the two programs will meet at Highland as each looks to get off to a strong start to their respective campaigns. A 3-1 record in four games is no surprise for Highland, which was 18-1-2 last season but returns a number of experienced players, many of whom have promised to play at the collegiate level for years to come.
Veteran head coach Bill Zufall knows his seniors have a chance to accomplish something special this fall.
“Last year, our team was all about great teammates and more of a fun, carefree team,” Zufall said. “This group still has that personality, but they’ve developed more grit and they want to get off to a fast start.”
Zufall described her team, led by Grace Madison, Grace Shondel and Vanessa Zufall, as an attacking team even behind the formation. On the back end, junior goalie Hailey Trzaska (a Bowling Green recruit) is in her third season as a starter, and her coach called her a “big shot blocker” who the team has great confidence in.
After winning the league last season, the Hornets have plans to secure another premiership. It will mean a lot to this year’s team, but it will also be important to the bigger story of Highland football.
“Our school has never won back-to-back league championships on the boys or girls side, but we put ourselves in a good spot by beating Copley,” Zufall said, referring to the 6-0 victory over the powerhouse Indians. “We won our first district title last year, and we’re looking to repeat that this year and make a run at states.”
Highland has an experienced team with 11 experienced players on the roster, as well as a resounding win at Copley’s home field, where the Indians beat them 6-1 the last time the two teams met on the same field.
Barberton is also off to a fast start with a 3-2-1 record in the opening weeks of the season. New head coach Griffin Brown knows his team can’t match the Hornets’ experience, but he likes the way the Magics have played so far.
“We have a young team this year with a lot of sophomores,” Brown said. “The strength of the team is at the back, a senior goalie who has been a starter for four years and a back line full of seniors who can keep us close and keep us going in a lot of games.”
That goalie, Lexi Haynes, is a steadying presence for Barberton. With a blend of speed and toughness, they plan to hang their hats on all season long, with the Magics looking to put a lot of new pieces in place. Forward Sydney Brown and center Alexa Guerrero, along with midfielder Ryanne Flowers, are key pieces early in the season.
After winning just two games three seasons ago, winning five the following year and hitting .500 last season, the goal this year is to finish above .500 and be more competitive in the tough Suburban League. That includes facing league favorite Highland, which Brown knows will be a tough assignment.
“It’s a huge challenge and we know we’re not going to have as much possession as we have in other games,” Brown said. “They’re a great program, they’re well-coached and they play the game the right way. We know we’ve got to limit the amount of mistakes we make.”
It’s a big test for both teams as they are chasing different goals at the start of the season, but they are aiming for another win to continue the next step and a solid start for their respective programs.