Scotland’s Emma Clark (10) dribbles the ball during a May 4, 2023, game against Richmond.
File photo
LAURINBURG — Winning has been hard for the Scotland women’s soccer program in the last decade, having finished with a losing record the past 10 seasons.
But with a new head coach in Jordan Stone and senior Emma Clark — the team’s top scorer for the last three years — returning, the Lady Scots have a favorable opportunity to change that heading into the upcoming season.
”Emma Clark’s going to be a big help,” Stone said. “We’re going to try and use her more in the middle this year and work around her and maybe get some more opportunities for the other girls, the sophomores and freshmen that we had last year. I want to make sure that I give the girls the best opportunity to succeed. And it’s not all about winning, but I want to win some games.”
Stone, who is just 21 years old, was an assistant with Scotland women’s soccer (3-12-1, 2-11 Sandhills Athletic Conference last season) in 2023 before being promoted after former head coach Richard Snipes, who was with Scotland for one season, announced publicly on Jan. 15 that he’d be stepping down from his role on Feb. 9.
“It’s definitely different from the assistant coach to head coach, the jump,” Stone said. “Just having to not only manage the team but manage things outside the team, with the uniforms and scheduling games, making sure we get there on time, how we’re going to get there, stuff like that; just making sure everybody’s eligible. Other than that, I’m feeling good and can’t wait to start.”
Along with Clark (20 goals, five assists last year), the Lady Scots will have plenty of experience despite graduating midfielder and backup goalkeeper Laura Wlodarczak (12 goals, 10 assists, 31 saves) and starting goalie Terra Anderson (185 saves), making communication a likely strength of the team.
“… We have good team communication, and we’re all friends, so we have that for us,” Clark said. “So, I think we’ll communicate well a lot this year.”
With Clark doing more outside her normal striker spot, senior Jaylee Hunt, who will be playing her first year of soccer at Scotland, will likely play there.
“We have a girl out here that just came, Jaylee; she’s going to be very good,” Stone said. “We have her probably sitting up at our striker position. So we’re trying to work on her shots a little bit, making sure they’re a little straighter.”
Besides Clark, who Stone plans to use in the midfield is still being decided.
“We’re trying to work out some pieces,” Stone said. “So just making sure that the formation and the players we put in those places are right.”
Scotland’s four backers — seniors Campbell Gross and Gabby Norton and juniors Emma Houg and Caydence Deese — are all returners from last year.
“Our back line’s about the same as it normally is; we have Campbell, Emma Houg, Gabby Norton, all the ones that were normally back there last year,” Stone said. “We have Caydence. She actually was on JV last year and was pulled up to varsity, so she’ll probably be starting for us as well.”
In goal replacing Anderson will be another Anderson — sophomore Addison Anderson, who shares no relation to Terra Anderson.
“She has played soccer before but never in the goalie position, so we’re having to adjust to that,” Stone said. “But her reaction times are looking good, and her speed and her agility is looking good. So, we’re just trying to make sure she has all that aggression and potential to be the best keeper she can be.”
“I feel pretty decently confident,” Addison Anderson said. “But again … I’m not experienced. But I play other sports, as well. So, I feel athletically capable of playing my position. But I’m pretty confident going in there.”
The Lady Scots are seeking their first season of more than three wins since 2016 when they went 5-16.
“I think we’re more capable because we have been practicing in the offseason a lot more; we started this summer practicing,” Addison Anderson said. “And I think as a team, with everybody coming and participating, we’ve really bonded a lot more, and we have better communication this year.”
Scotland can earn its first win of the 2024 campaign in its opener Tuesday at Whiteville.
“I know as the season progresses, we’ll get better and better,” Stone said. “But I think we’re looking pretty good. And we’re excited for Tuesday.”
Brandon Hodge is the sports editor for The Laurinburg Exchange. He can be reached at 910-506-3171 or by email at bhodge@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BrandonHSports.