FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT: Alton's soccer team concludes year with remarkable improvement under Coach Jeff Hayes

Dan Brannan, Content Director

May 26, 2016 12:00 PM May 26, 2016 12:23 PM

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ALTON - Alton’s girls’ soccer team concluded an excellent season on Saturday in the championship of the Collinsville 3A Regional with a loss to host Collinsville, 5-0.

The Redbirds ended the season 12-6-3, a remarkable change from last year with sights set on a positive future. Several of the Redbirds will return next season.

Seniors graduating from this year’s team are Sydney Mossman, Lindsay Kistenmacher and Bryley Snyders.

All three of the seniors have meant a considerable amount to the program with their play and leadership, Coach Jeff Hayes said.

Coach Hayes said he was exceptionally pleased with his team this season and throughout the year the young squad showed improvement.

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“We gave up a couple early goals in the regional loss to Collinsville,” he said. “We talked about it and had to fight through the first half. Collinsville had a lot of talent. We built some confidence with the way we played early in the season. We had several points in the season where we could have gotten down or disappointed, but we kept on fighting. It is fun being part of a team with people like that.”

The season started on a high note with a tournament championship, then some other early season victories.

“We competed with everybody in the conference with the exception of Collinsville,” he said.

Members of this year’s soccer roster who return next season are juniors Lindsey Grossheim, Annie Evans, Lexi Schrimpf, and Julia May-Campbell. Sophomores Michaela Lucas, Breana Smith, Sydney Schmidt, Makayla Cox, Taylor Imming, Bri Hatfield and Katie Kercher all return. Freshmen are Maddy Fennewald, Megan Zini, Summer Schleeper, Alaina Nasello, Calista Cox, Grace Kane and Morgan Rauscher. The talent that returns on the team is rich for next season, Hayes said.

“I had several people come up to me and tell me they thought we had a great season and with the young kids it gives everyone great hope for the future,” he said. “With that being said, our three seniors gave it their all and the chemistry with our younger girls carried us a long way.”