View full sizeHathaway Brown's Melissa Vajskop, left, races Hannah McCue of Rocky River to the ball.The Hathaway Brown soccer team starts a new era as Carmen Ptacek takes over as head coach for the Blazers.
Ptacek, who has been an assistant at HB for eight years, said the expectations are the same for the highly successful program.
“We’re strong,” Ptacek said. “We have a very strong core of players returning. It’s nice to have that experience coming back this year.”
The Blazers went 11-6-2 last year and lost, 6-3, to Rocky River in a Division II regional semifinal game. The last time HB didn’t advance past the regional semifinal was in 2006 and the last time the Blazers didn’t win at least a district title was 2005 when they lost to Chagrin Falls in a district semifinal.
“That’s definitely an expectation of mine,” said Ptacek of winning a district title.
During the past seven years, HB has been to state four times and won two titles (one since vacated). This year's senior class lost in double overtime in the title game to Cincinnati Madeira as sophomores and won it all in 2009 over Bexley, 2-1, on a last-minute header by Lysette Roman. That title was forfeited for using an ineligible player.
Roman is back and is looking to go out with a state championship.
“She is definitely the leader of the team,” Ptacek said. “She’s definitely one of the best players in the state. She’s a solid center mid. She controls the ball and the flow of the game. She settles things down for us. She’s a very strong player.”
Ptacek said Roman is being heavily recruited with Columbia, Colgate and Carnegie Mellon as her top choices right now.
Several talented and experienced players return for HB up front including junior midfielder Karoline Schenosky, junior forward Melissa Vajskop, junior forward Claire Danes, junior midfielder Emma Weyn and sophomore midfielder Jordan Doak.
Vajskop is HB’s most dangerous goal scorer with Roman setting her up.
“She is a true forward,” Ptacek said. “She’s a player a coach loves to have on the team. She has a natural desire to score goals. She’s a real pleasure to have on the team. Lysette will set her up.”
The Blazers lost midfielder Kate Dolansky and forward Sophie Daroff to graduation.
HB also has some talented freshmen who could step in up front in Libby Fletcher, Madeline Danes, Tally Clark, Jordan Elhindi and Izzy Catanzaro.
Defensively, the Blazers are bit more inexperienced after losing two key defenders to graduation in Mallory Polster and Jane Domeck along with goalie Rachel Horton.
Ptacek has moved junior Britney Ehlert from the midfield to defense to help out.
“She’s performed really well,” Ptacek said. “She’s gaining more and more experience. She has speed and she’s strong.
“We switched some things around to help solidify the defense. We’re pretty young in the back and in goal.”
There will be two sophomores who got experience as freshman back in Veronica Guastella and Riley Doak. Ptacek also has some freshmen who will fight for playing time in the back line in Emma Simmons and Remi Salenger.
Ptacek will also start a freshman goalie in Clair O'Brien.
“She’s a very good, technical goalie,” Ptacek said. “She’s tall and strong.”
Should O'Brien need any time off, senior goalie Emily Wargo would be next in line.
Ptacek said her first preseason as head coach is going well.
“There’s a very good vibe on the team,” Ptacek said. “The team is really working hard. They look forward to the challenge. The veteran players are used to winning.”
Ptacek has plenty of experience not only with the Blazers, but in her corner as her husband John is the coach at University School and her father John Kissner is the coach at Walsh Jesuit.
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