SSHS Girls' Soccer Tryouts Begin

More than 70 aspiring Lady Cyclones soccer players tried out for the junior varsity and varsity teams on Monday, though new varsity coach Shannon McEntee said she isn't sure how many she'll cut before the final teams rosters are complete.

Girls ran a bevy of training drills, including agility runs, passing and dribbling training, and then finished off the tryout with a few scrimmages. McEntee said she is looking for certain qualities from those trying out. "I just want the hustlers," she said. "I want the hard worker who has a high skill level and understands the game."

McEntee isn't asking for too much. She's looking for the best available talent to complete a varsity roster that won the New York State Championship last year. Varsity also went undefeated last season, McEntee noted, so the girls trying out this year need to show her that they can bring a similar intensity.

She added that conferences were realigned this year, and now they are based on school enrollment, rather than on skill level. So though South Side will play different competition this season, McEntee made it clear that each game will be played at a high level."We're playing a lot of new teams this year," she said. "But we're going to treat every game like an elite matchup."