SCITUATE – The question right now is who might be looking forward to Aug. 22’s first day of fall sports practice? The Scituate High girls soccer team or their new head coach, Nicole Hayward.
“That would be a close race,” said Hayward with a chuckle. “The kids have done a great job this summer bonding together as a team and getting ready for the start of practices. I can’t wait to get going with this team. I think it’s going to be an exciting season.”
The reason for Hayward’s excitement begins with her four returning senior captains: Kelly Horan, Lindsey Hausmann, Ava Easterly and Sarah Fogarty. All four players have tons of soccer experience under their belts and are ready to make their final run something special.
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“I call them the fabulous four. They’re great soccer players and they’ve done an amazing job pulling everything together this season with a bunch of team-bonding type of activities. I’ve got a pretty veteran team and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of leaders to kick off the soccer season as my captains,” Hayward said.
Her players have worked out the kinks this summer in captain’s practices as well as playing in a local 6v6 high school soccer league. Once practices begin, scrimmages against Braintree, Cohasset, and at the Medway High Jamboree will help get the team ready for the regular season.
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Hayward took over the Sailors program in the spring with the departure of former head coach Rob Williams. She has a long history with soccer tracing back to her days as the starting goaltender at Marshfield High and then Curry College. She was a vice-president of the popular Hot Shots youth soccer program in her hometown, was the JV coach at Marshfield High for three years under Dom Centorino, and most recently helped recruit players for the fledgling women’s soccer program at Quincy College.
All those years playing goaltender helped Hayward develop a different appreciation for soccer.
“When you’re playing goalie, all of the field is in front of you and you have the opportunity to see plays develop in a different way,” Hayward said. “You have to see all facets of the field as a goalie, and I think that kind of perspective helps me as a coach.”
Hayward sees her role as head coach as “being someone who works with her players to be at their best both on and off the field. I like to help players identify an area of potential weakness and work with them to fix it.”
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Hayward will return a veteran Scituate High squad that lost in the opening round of the Division 2 state tournament last season to Notre Dame Academy-Hingham.
The new coach is aware of the tough task in front of her, especially playing in a Patriot League that is widely considered the most competitive grouping in the state.
That reputation is well-earned. Hingham lost in the Div. 2 state finals last season and is ranked in some national pre-season polls. Whitman-Hanson and Silver Lake met in the Division 2 state title game while Plymouth North lost in the D2 state semifinals. Marshfield, Duxbury, and Hanover are also coming off tourney appearances.
“The Patriot League is definitely one of the toughest leagues in the state, but that’s the kind of competition we are looking for. Playing those teams will make us better,” Hayward said. “The Scituate girls soccer boosters have been great to work with and we are planning some fun events this season. I can’t wait to get started.”
The season kicks off Sept. 9 at Silver Lake. After another away game at Quincy on Sept. 13, Scituate opens its home schedule on Thursday, Sept. 14 against Hingham High School.
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