Some of the juniors and seniors on the Loudoun County girls' soccer team remember the 2003 squad that made a run to the AA state championship game before settling for a runner-up finish.
But the memory that remains vivid is from a year ago, when the Raiders had an 7-8-1 season during which they showed flashes of brilliance but battled through growing pains. So instead of vying for top honors in the Dulles District, Loudoun County was stuck in the middle of the pack.
Loudoun County junior Amanda Franklin, center, playing in the 2003 AA girls' soccer state title game, missed last year with a knee injury.
(Andres R. Alonso For The Washington Post)
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"What we all experienced last season wasn't our best season," said senior co-captain Gillian Love. "We knew it was for building, and now I feel like we're ready and we've learned what we need to learn."
A new season brings renewed hope and confidence. Loudoun County, which graduated two players, returns seven seniors and also welcomes back play making central midfielder Amanda Franklin. The junior earned all-district and all-region honors her freshman year before sitting out all of last season with a torn ACL.
"She can change the pace of the game," fifth-year coach Kirk Smith said of Franklin. "She's a natural midfielder and knows what I want automatically. She will allow [junior defender] Kristi Sieber and [senior forward] Katie Coviello to stay in their natural positions. So instead of moving three people to try and fit one spot, all three are now where they're supposed to be, so that will make a big difference."
Coviello -- a returning All-Extra performer who led the Raiders with eight goals last season -- and Sieber were forced into midfield positions last year in an effort to generate offensive flow. The experiment produced little success. But now, Sieber is free to lead the defense while Coviello returns to the forward line, where she will combine with Love in Loudoun County's 4-4-2 formation to run off the ball, collecting passes from Franklin.
Early on, the difference has been evident for Loudoun County (2-0), which opened the season with back-to-back non district wins over Liberty with scores of 2-0 and 5-1 -- the only goal allowed coming on a penalty kick. According to Smith, the Raiders are displaying a maturity they lacked last season.
"I'm seeing things click that I did not see by the end of the season last year," he said. "To me, we just build on that because with the weather we haven't gotten outside, and they're already doing things they didn't do last season."
Senior goalie and co-captain Kate Burns noticed the difference as well.
"Just in our first two games, our passing was so unselfish," she said. "It's just great to have that back."
Getting the group to jell early is important in the competitive Dulles District, where one or two early losses can derail a team. A year ago, Potomac Falls went on a roll to win the AA state title, and Broad Run began with a flourish en route to the regular season title at 14-0-1.
Now the Raiders feel they are ready to make their own run at the district title -- and perhaps more.
"I feel like we are up there" with Broad Run and Potomac Falls, said Love. "It's something to strive for, and I feel like we can take them, and when we do beat them it's going to be good."
