By Warren Rappleyea
North Brunswick Township High School’s girls soccer team will look to improve on last year’s 7-11-1 record under new head coach Danielle Bussiere.
Bussiere is known for taking North Brunswick’s girls lacrosse team to the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) championship game three years in a row and bringing home titles last spring and in 2014. She has spent the past two seasons leading the girls junior varsity soccer squad.
“The team struggled at times last year, but the girls had some nice wins,” Bussiere said. “Our goal is to make the team a contender in the [White] Division and the conference. I’m looking to start out by building a strong defense and going from there.”
Last season, the Raiders were 5-2-1 early in the year before slumping. North Brunswick allowed 48 goals against while scoring just 20 goals of its own. Eighteen of those goals against came in a pair of blowout losses, so the team can defend.
North Brunswick will miss goalkeeper Danielle Segerholm, who turned in six clean sheets and made 114 saves on the year. The good news is that junior Cassie Oake, who played well on the junior varsity team, is ready to step in. In addition, junior full back Christy Perez, a tri-captain, returns to spearhead the back line.
The strength of the team lies in the middle. Tri-captain Ashley Cherry, who scored a pair of goals, is part of a strong contingent that also includes central midfielder Samantha Persaud, who picked up three assists a year ago. Sophomores Delaney Timm (two goals) and Aria Thornhill, who both showed promise last fall, will see even more time this season.
“We’re looking to play a strong two-way game in the middle,” the new coach said. “We have some talented girls, and they can help our offense if they pick their spots.”
Up front, tri-captain Michelle Abraham, Janice Reyes and junior Arianna Mattis, who is returning from a knee injury, can all put the ball in the net, Bussiere said. In addition, freshman Xaria Lamar is expected to get her share of minutes on the forward line.
The coach was pleased with her team’s showing during a recent quad scrimmage that included Edison High School, Monroe Township High School and West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North.
“That helped the girls get their confidence up,” said Bussiere, who played for four years at Kean University. “I want them to bond together as a team, back each other up and play with energy.”
With a little over 30 players in the program, Bussiere is focused on recruiting. She has encouraged her lacrosse players who are not playing a fall sport to give soccer a try, while also looking for potential players in her physical education classes. Based on her experience in lacrosse, the coach knows that success breeds success.
“If we win more game, more girls will become interested and the program will grow,” she said. “We want to build something special.”
The Raiders’ seasons gets underway at home Sept. 8 when White Division rival Sayreville War Memorial High School comes to visit.
