Brookland–Cayce’s Sarah Johnson tries to get by Dorman’s Emily Armstrong. Last season, Brookland– Cayce’s girls soccer team started slowly and need a sustained finalmonth charge to earn a playoff berth.

After a 2–0 non– region loss to Dorman (7–1) on Saturday, March 20, in the Soccer for a Cure fundraising event at Brookland– Cayce High School, the Bearcats (2–3) are again below .500.

But coach Katie Smith doesn’t expect this season’s team to need a late–season rally.

“We’re much better and stronger this year,” Smith said. “The girls trained extremely hard during the preseason. We have a really strong class of sophomores (seven) and the five seniors, so we are better off this year – we’re more mature.”

When Smith talks maturity, her words are aimed directly at the Bearcats’ seven sophomores, most of whom played varsity last season and now know what is expected and needed.

B–C’s Carlyn Fralick “If we can stay healthy, we are very optimistic about where we can finish in the region. Obviously, our goal is to win the region – but finishing first or second puts us in a good place for the playoffs. Winning it is a realistic expectation, absolutely.”

The Bearcats struggled offensively against Dorman, in part, because two of those sophomores were absent. Noel McDaniel was out because of a scheduling conflict, and Ashleigh Nettles is out until at least the end of the month because of an injury.

“With Noel, we’re much better on the attack,” Smith said. “I feel we are much better attacking as a team this year, but we still have work to do.”

McDaniel keys the attack because she provides another threat and needed balance up front. Without her in the lineup, senior Sarah Johnson’s runs with the ball became the most consistent source of offense. Johnson, however, has other duties.

“She works extremely hard,” Smith said of Johnson. “We move her around more than anybody. She’ll start in the back, in the midfield, up front; it depends on whom we are playing. Against Eastside and Katie Moore, who is one of the best forwards in the state, Sarah marked her out. We usually put her on the other team’s strongest player.”

Defensively, Brookland– Cayce kept Dorman off the scoreboard until Daisy Walker found the net in the 63rd minute. Two minutes later, Kim Kesler added the insurance goal.