JV Soccer Squad at Lakeland Races Out to a 6-0 Start

The present – and the future – of Lakeland soccer is extremely bright. 

The Eagles junior varsity squad this spring is off to a 6-0 start under head coach Robert Kroezen. With a team comprised of a balance of sophomores and freshmen, the girls squad is aiming for one of its best seasons in recent history heading into a game Monday at Milford. 

Lakeland’s JV team is backed by a strong defense and midfield, and a high scorer on the front line offensively, Kroezen said. However it is the team’s mindset, combined with the players’ collective talent that has made this team special early in the season. 

“Our girls this season are really motivated and they all want to become better individually so that they can become a varsity player,” Kroezen said. 

The defense is led by Fallon Koenig and Haley Earmont, two sophomores who are very strong players and understand their roles on the field. They are joined on the back line by freshman Meghan Jackson. 

“I think what sets them apart is that they know where their teammates are on the field,” Kroezen said. “They do a nice job communicating with each other.” 

Goalie Jessica Filipiak has started all season, and has given up just 4 goals through six games - including four shutouts, Kroezen said.

At midfield, sophomore Shanna Gipre is the team captain and is “all over the field” according to her head coach. Along with Amanda Fields, the Lakeland midfielders are able to both control tempo while supporting the back end and feeding some of the Eagles speedy forwards. 

“We’re still working on some team building goals and we continue to work on communicating and talking on the field because that is something that you need to get better at if you are going to be on the varsity team,” Kroezen said. 

Nina Foote leads a small but speedy front line, having recorded seven goals through six games. Along with her ability to find the back of the net, the freshman is also a gifted passer. And like many of her teammates, she is extremely motivated to prove to varsity head coach Curt Whitefield that she deserves to be on varsity next year. 

As the head coach of a junior varsity team, Kroezen’s role is not only to help his team win games but to prepare those players for a possible varsity role. To do that, he is working with Lakeland’s JV players to help improve their individual skills from passing, dribbling and positioning, to the strength and conditioning that is needed to excel at the highest high school levels. 

With a handful of varsity players graduating next season, there may only be four to six slots open on the varsity squad in 2012, Kroezen said. That is one reason why the JV players are so highly motivated to show what they can do on the field. 

“We have some speed and athleticism, and some girls who certainly can play at the next level,” Kroezen said. “There are going to be some good players who may not be able to make the team next year. But it will come down to tryouts.” 

With the Milford game approaching, Kroezen expects his team to be at their peak performance. Milford and Walled Lake Northern, as Lakeland’s two rivals, do provide an added motivation for the team as the season progresses. 

“We want to win every game but we really want to win this one (against Milford),” Kroezen said. “It should be a fun week.”