We have a lot of skilled players this year, more than we’ve ever had technically wise, so that’s really going to help us possess the ball and finish.””

Co-head Coach Stacy Paleen

We have girls that are driven and ready to find those opportunities.”

Co-Head coach Abby Kirsch

Park hosts Bloomington Jefferson Thursday, Aug. 24, to open the season in a game starting at 5 p.m.

Top athletes returning include seniors Emma Taschner and Ava Reckinger and sophomore Gabby Faletti.

Park must replace several key players from last season. The Wolfpack graduated eight varsity seniors including Olivia Opichka who will be playing at the University of Sioux Falls and goalkeeper Shelby Hansen who will be playing lacrosse at Concordia University – St. Paul.

Top athletes returning include seniors Emma Taschner and Ava Reckinger and sophomore Gabby Faletti.

A reasonable goal for this year’s team, said Taschner, is “to just stay positive through whatever happens and just keep going.”

“My goals is to not get shut out and be able to score this year,” said Reckinger. “I feel we’re going to have a very high chance of scoring because we have a new formation so we more players up the field that are able to score and we have more foot skills, too.”

As for the top newcomers, co-head coach Stacy Paleen is taking a wait and see approach. “We need to wait and see what happens next week, but we are expecting over 80 players to be in our program this year.”

Park was 2-6-1 in the Suburban East Conference last season and 4-11-2 overall. The Wolfpack will work to get on the plus side oft eh ledger this fall.

“A reasonable goal for this group for this year I would say is to finish in the top half of the conference, which we haven’t done in a long time,” said Paleen.  “And, obviously, advance past the first round of sections, which we also haven’t done in a very long time.

“We have always had trouble scoring goals so we’re going to look at some different formations,” Paleen added. “We have a lot of skilled players this year, more than we’ve ever had technically wise, so that’s really going to help us possess the ball and finish.”

“That’s one of our biggest challenges, as its been for years, overcoming that hurdle,” agreed co-head coach Abby Kirsch. “But I think the technical piece of the skill that we have this year some of the things that we’ve seen already this week we’re definitely a lot more hopeful.

“We have girls that are driven and ready to find those opportunities,” Kirsch added.  

Team strengths are expected to be speed and experience.

“This year we have really good foot skills, and I think we’ll do better about scoring,” said junior Lilly Newhouse. “A weakness would maybe be we have a lot of first-year varsity players.”

“We have speed that we are looking to capitalize on and some very skilled seniors who have been with us since freshman year,” said Paleen, who is entering her 28^th season coaching and ninth season as a head coach of the program.

Coaches are emphasizing holding onto possession and not just kicking it but looking for an open teammate to pass to.

One area of obvious concern is that the Wolfpack must replace goalkeeper Hansen.

Asked what would make for a successful season, coach Paleen said, “For all of the players in our program to feel valued and to have a fun season. The scoreboard will not dictate a successful season, but more wins would be nice.”

Park hosts Bloomington Jefferson Thursday, Aug. 24, to open the season in a game starting at 5 p.m.