Two all-league players to anchor CG-B soccer

The Cedar Grove-Belgium girls’ soccer team this season returns two all-conference players who are expected to lead both sides of the field.

Senior Jessica Rose scored 23 goals and dished out 18 assists in earning Big East first-team honors last season.

On the other side, junior Haven Minick earned honorable mention as a defender.

“Jessica Rose will be instrumental in the attack while Haven Minick will help anchor our defense,” coach Elias Garza said.

“Their leadership and experience will be critically important as the competitive process of determining rosters for both squads unfolds.”

The Rockets lost graduate Haleigh Bares, who scored 18 goals and had 20 assists in earning first team all-conference honors.

Those three led the team to an 11-5-2 record in the Big East, good for fourth place, and a record of 13-7-2 overall.

This year’s team is still coming together with many spots have yet to be determined, Garza said.

But he has chosen an offensive and defensive strategies.

“Offensively, we do not intend on depending on one particular player. The burden of the scoring load will affect all players that step on the pitch, particularly in the attacking third,” Garza said.

On defense, “willingness to defend will be expected in every third.”

One strength of the team is numbers. Thirty-four girls are in the program, which enables the Rockets to field varsity and junior varsity squads for the fourth straight season.

“Scheduling games for both squads has been especially gratifying knowing how beneficial it is for the development and future of the program,” Garza said.

The conference, he said, will be more competitive with the addition of four teams, including New Holstein and Sheboygan Falls.

“A high level of preparation for each opponent will be demanded if we expect to be competitive. No one is to be overlooked,” he said.

So far, Garza said he likes that the Rockets have been pushing each other.

“Competition has been the theme. This competitive culture has been embraced and has yielded positive results throughout training. It is refreshing observing the players challenge one another to become better student-athletes and teammates.

“It has been a joy being around this group and we look forward to a exciting season.”

The Rockets are scheduled to start the season at conference foe Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. They play Random Lake at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee at 7 p.m. Friday and at Kiel at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 10.