Orioles cap historic inaugural season with playoff appearance

The Lennox High School girls’ soccer team made history in its inaugural season, earning a spot in the playoffs as the No. 6 seed among the eight teams advancing to postseason play.

The Orioles faced West Central in the opening round on Tuesday, Oct. 6, battling an established program in a tightly contested match. The two teams remained scoreless for much of the contest before West Central managed to find the back of the net in the final minutes, securing a 1-0 victory and bringing Lennox’s season to an end.

Despite the loss, Lennox head coach Paul McVey said the team had plenty to celebrate after an impressive first season.

“We had a fantastic inaugural season of girls soccer. Even in defeat, this season was incredibly satisfying for our players, coaches, and supporters,” McVey said. “We showed incredible growth from the first practice to the final whistle. Qualifying for the playoffs with a #6 seed and taking an established powerhouse program down to the wire in a 1-0 defeat is a remarkable success story.”

McVey said the team’s improvement was especially evident in its final match-up against West Central. 

“Our girls showed that we were a completely different team from our first game against West Central to our last,” he said. “We shuffled a few players around to different positions and the girls truly understood and executed the game plan.”

Those adjustments helped Lennox keep West Central’s offense in check for nearly the entire match while creating scoring opportunities of its own.

“We surprised West Central by playing very stingy defense, being able to control and connect with each other in the midfield, and we created several promising chances,” McVey said.

While the loss marked the end of the season, McVey said the team’s first year established a strong foundation for the future of the program. 

“We will miss our seniors Ryleigh, Annika, Haven, and Peyton as well as our exchange student Nora. They helped lay a solid foundation for our program to build on in the coming years,” he said.

With a playoff appearance already under their belts, the Lennox will look to build on their inaugural season when they return to the field next year.

“We are already looking forward to next season. Our girls became a bona fide soccer team this year and have the potential to take our program to new heights next year,” McVey said. “We would like to thank all the people who made this season possible and are grateful to the players, coaches, and fans for making it one to remember.”