(Atlantic) -- The Atlantic girls are off to one of their best starts in program history behind a stout defense and an experienced lineup.
The Trojans are 5-2 with wins over Perry, Kuemper Catholic, Missouri Valley, Grand View Christian and Logan-Magnolia, while their two losses are to Glenwood and Lewis Central.
"We're off to a great start," Coach Dan Vargason said. "We knew if we had a lot of players coming back. We are playing tremendous soccer and playing more as a team."
The Trojans won 10 matches last year. They graduated seven seniors from that squad but also returned many contributors.
"We only graduated a couple of starters," Vargason said. "It's always hard to replace starters, but sports are about the next man in. Our girls have done it. They stepped into new positions and learned quickly. It's been great to watch them grow."
Junior Jada Jensen shined as a sophomore last season with a school-record 27 goals and is well on her way to a similar season this year. Jensen already has 13 goals in seven matches.
"We knew that Jada would come in and score goals," Vargason said. "And that's what she has done."
Jensen is the straw that stirs the drink for the Atlantic offense, but she's not their only scoring threat. Aubrey Guyer has added four goals, and Lindley Eblen has scored three times, while Mattie Dvorak, Irelyn Gundy, Dayna Dreager, Kiera Nichols and Patyn Harter have also found the net.
Vargason says the contributions they've received outside of Jensen have been what makes the offense tick.
"Last year, Jada scored like 75 or 80 percent of our goals," he said. "We try to feed the ball to the middle, but we are doing a better job of knocking it to the corners. Now that teams understand how Jada plays, other girls have to step up.."
All five of Atlantic's wins have been shutouts.
Vargason credits Quinn Grubbs, Eva Steffensen and Dreager in the backline, while Edria Brummer hasn't let much get by her with a 74.1% efficiency and 40 saves.
"Having three comfortable defenders and a goalie that can deal with shots from distance and one-on-ones has helped," he said. "Being able to adjust to the opponent has been a big difference this year."
The Trojans return to action against St. Albert on Tuesday, followed by a clash with Harlan on Friday. As the season progresses, Coach Vargason wants to see his team's chemistry continue to grow.
"Continue to learn how each other plays and not rely on just one individual," he said. "We want to play as one group, not three units. The biggest thing is mental toughness. The soccer side and athleticism are there. At this point, it's just connecting the dots and staying tough mentally."
Check out the full interview with Coach Vargason below.
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Atlantic girls off to strong start, preaching toughness, chemistry going forward - KMAland
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