Lady Rebels soccer off to fast start

There’s no definitive timetable as to when the Vestavia Hills High School girls soccer team will be able to take the field again. But as of mid-March, the Lady Rebels had put together a tremendous start to the 2020 season.

After winning the last two Class 7A state championships and three of the last four overall, Vestavia Hills kept the momentum rolling by beginning this season with 14 consecutive wins. The only blemish on the schedule stands as a 4-0 loss to Oak Mountain on March 12.

“The versatility of our players,” head coach Brigid Meadow said as the key to the Lady Rebels’ strong start. “It’s always the effort and their desire, but we have athletes that are willing to play positions they haven’t played before.”

Meadow said that through the season’s first 14 games, Vestavia Hills had not employed the same lineup in any of them.

“That’s a good thing,” she said. “It’s the same core of athletes, it’s just different because certain people are playing well at certain times and certain people match up better with other lineups as far as speed and their abilities.”

From last year’s group, Vestavia Hills had to replace five senior starters. The Lady Rebels were also dealt a significant blow when UAB signee and current senior midfielder Izzy Passman suffered a season-ending injury.

Despite losing her on-field contributions, which were significant, Meadow said Passman is “still an integral part of the team.”

“Izzy comes to practice and is still a big part of our team,” Meadow said. “She helps by coaching. She gives them pointers and helps them out with things in practice and even in games.”

Last season’s seniors carried much of the load, which is in contrast to this season’s team. There are five seniors on this year’s squad, with forward Arden Young being the only one of those starting regularly. But Meadow has been impressed with the support and leadership Katie Milldrum, Queenie Samaha and Victoria Rohner have provided, especially knowing that they could be thrust into significant roles at a moment’s notice.

Juniors provide much of the production of this season’s team, with Houston commit Kaylee Dressback leading the way in the midfield.

“That leadership and of course the senior leadership of those that have been there helps us continue the belief system that we’ve put in place,” Meadow said.

Over the team’s first 14 games, the Lady Rebels allowed just four goals and kept 10 clean sheets. Meadow attributed much of that success to a back line of juniors Cristina Hernandez, Grace Ellis and Madeline Bunch. Raleigh Robinson has served as the team’s primary goalkeeper.

“They really do not want to let anything get to the net,” Meadow said.

Despite outscoring opponents 49-4 over that 14-game winning streak at the year’s outset, the team was not content.

“We talk about what we’re doing well and what we need to work on,” Meadow said. “I ask for input from them, because their perspective counts. I don’t know everything that goes on out there. They’re so tuned to paying attention to detail.”

There has been no hint of complacency within a group that has experienced so much success in recent years. Along with winning the last two state titles, Vestavia Hills went a perfect 23-0 last spring and was named the national champion by MaxPreps.

But Meadow hasn’t had to worry about overconfidence at all.

She said, “The fact that we’re always working toward getting better and we’re not resting on the laurels of last year — they know that, they don’t do that, they don’t bring it up. Last year’s team was national champs. This year’s team is not.”

As far as that back line of defense goes, Meadow has seen them transform from a talented but inexperienced group into one that has no fear.

“They’ve had the experience and they’ve been under pressure,” she said. “Last year, I know my back line was sweating it every game, because they were young. I had to keep reminding them they were good.”

Meadow also mentioned players like forward Alison Stubbs, Riley Vicinanzo and Ella Denton as players that have impressed so far as well.

This season, Vestavia Hills has already won the Falcon Fest event in Huntsville and was awarded second in the Southern Shootout, merely because of a goal differential tiebreaker. The team is certainly talented, but that’s not the only piece of the puzzle.

“They all get along,” Meadow said. “As long as you have a team and they like each other and there’s no jealousy or someone doesn’t like someone, you can do a lot. That’s what we have. The fact that we have athleticism and that, it makes for good chemistry overall.”

While it remains to be seen if or when the Lady Rebels will return to the field this spring, Meadow has seen the same qualities that has made the teams of the past few years so successful.

“We still have adopted that relentless attitude, like last year. We don’t want to ever let up and every ball counts,” she said.