As you look back, the 2021 soccer season appears to have been one of transition for the University Heights Academy Lady Blazers. After a strong run during the COVID-impacted season of 2020, the Lady Blazers found themselves adjusting to some new roles due to graduation in May 2021 during the course of the 2021 season, especially on the offensive end of the field.
Those changes and adjustments saw the potency of the Lady Blazer offense reduced last season. The UHA offense went from 73 goals in 2020 to 26 goals scored in 2021. However, a stonewall defense helped to keep the Lady Blazers in the thick of things all season long.
Move forward to 2022, and this year it will be replacing some key defensive pieces that could hold the key to the UHA season.
The Lady Blazers graduated four seniors from last year’s 7-7-1 team. Arguably, the biggest of those both in terms of field presence and physicality is Piper Hancock, who was among the most reliable defensive players in the region. UHA also graduated goalie MacKenzie Young, Emma Perry, and Karrigan Rogers. Young was a stalwart in goal for the Lady Blazers. Perry filled the role of an outside attacker. Rogers was an important role player who saw action in nine contests last season.
The offense should be more experienced in 2022, led by the return of Audrey Grise. Grise was on her way to a big sophomore season when a broken collarbone sent her to the sidelines seven games in. Her absence could have been a big part of some of the offensive issues for the Lady Blazers.
How big a part of the offense was Grise last season? In just seven games on the field, she still managed to be the team’s leading goal scorer for the year with nine shots finding the net. Getting her back to the performance level of the first half of 2021 would be huge for the Lady Blazers.
Grise’s return adds to a very experienced core group of players for the Lady Blazers in 2022. UHA is set to return seven players that played in all 15 matches last season.
In addition to Grise, offensive firepower looks to come from Addi Fourqurean, who had eight goals and seven assists last season, and Edie Adams, who scored two goals during her freshman season. Plus, with all of the returning experience, and some very talented young players coming up, the Lady Blazers have the potential to be a team that can find the net and find it often.
Stopping opponents looms as the big key for the 2022 season. MacKenzie Young played all 15 games in the net last year, occupying all of the varsity experience. Also, finding someone to fill the shoes of Piper Hancock and keep some of the pressure off an inexperienced goalie would help greatly, especially early in the season as the Lady Blazers try to get their footing coming out of the gate. Look for Ava Colburn and Lucy Wilkins to play big roles.
The schedule holds some interesting matchups for the Lady Blazers. In addition to the All A Classic, UHA will face off against Logan County, McCracken County, Calloway County, Madisonville, Henderson County, and Calvary Christian during a trip to Gatlinburg late in August.
The Lady Blazers will officially get the season rolling on the road Monday, August 8, when they go on the road to take on Calloway County.
