Saxony girls’ seasoned core preparing squad for long haul as preseason closes

Nearly a year removed from their first final-four run in seven years, the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders are hungry for more entering the 2024 girls soccer season.

With four of the five MHSSCA All-State players from yesteryear returning, with two on each side of the field, there’s an expectation for the high-motor efforts of 2023 to continue this spring.

For Crusaders coach Chris Crawford, he knows how the momentum from a year ago can carry into the new year.

He’ll take full advantage of this, looking to a talented returning cast that’s ready to make one more run.

“We're going to look just to build off all the strides that we've made from last year,” Crawford said.

There’s plenty of veteran leadership on the Crusaders’ roster, with eight seniors making the opening roll.

Annie Adams, Clara Brune, Maci Hollis, Mallory Kohlfield, Payton Meier, Grace Ozark, Kylie Peters and Katie Swain make up those eight seniors, with many expected to make key contributions this year.

Adams, Hollis and Ozark made three of those four returning all-staters from a season ago, and those three years of experience could prove vital for the starting 11 this year.

“One of the best things that you can have if you're gonna make a deep run is a lot of seniors,” Crawford said.

“When you get deep in the postseason, it takes every little inch. I know that's cliché, but it's the truth. I like our chances when we have so many juniors and seniors.”

Crawford noted that the squad is going to lean heavily on these upperclassmen, both on and off the field.

He’s expecting that veteran knowledge to be a focal point in returning to the later rounds of the state playoff once more.

“We have a leadership by committee,” Crawford said. “We have a really strong upper class, both soccer-wise and in our leadership capabilities.

“We're just looking to be successful, and that comes by everybody knowing their job and their role and taking advantage of that.”

Ozark, a veteran keeper for the club paired with Hollis in the back make up a seasoned Saxony defense that should be vital in keeping the sheet clean this season.

Meanwhile, Adams pairs up with two-time all-stater and offensive threat Camille Richey as a fearsome offensive tandem.

While Richey is no stranger to the game, her youth is something that the club will look to capitalize on as she looks to compound two huge freshman and sophomore seasons for a dominant junior campaign.

Outside of the seniors, Crawford noted that Richey and classmate Faith Dreyer have stood out immensely in the preseason.

The challenge, of course, is putting that all together, and that’ll be the focus of the early goings as Saxony looks to put together its masterpiece.

“We're just trying to keep everybody's head on straight,” Crawford said.

“We want to keep them focused on what we’re doing as a process and keep moving forward.”

It’s easy to get lost in the wins and losses early, forming opinions and identities for teams well before the key stretch of the season truly hits.

For Crawford, entering his seventh year at the helm of the program, he knows how those expectations can weigh down a team’s development.

He’s emphasized the process over his team’s record, and it’s led to three final fours and two state championships in his time with the program.

“We're not really going to focus on what the results will be,” Crawford said.

“They'll come with the same process that we have been, you know? We’re coming in and we’re working hard every day.”

As one of the smallest schools in a league of superpowers, it can be a daunting task to compete in a loaded SEMO Conference with Jackson, Notre Dame and others constantly fighting for superiority.

Though he knows the club has the strength to compete with these teams, Crawford touched highly on the experience his squad can gain from the schedule as opposed to honing in on a league title.

“Playing in the SEMO Conference, night-in and night-out, you're gonna get a battle,” Crawford said. “Whether it be physical, whether it be technical, you're gonna see a bunch of different styles.

“That's always fun for us. When you go into these games against some of these bigger schools and compete, hopefully when you get into the postseason, what you've seen is a little bit more.

“You're not worried about anything. You've seen every style, you've seen every bit of physicality you're gonna see.”

That talented schedule, and the long road ahead, will hopefully make everything a touch easier two months from now when the road to the championship has been paved.

The Crusaders will open the season against Farmington on Friday at 4:00 p.m. at the Shawnee Park Sports Complex in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, against a squad they narrowly beat in penalties a season ago.

For Crawford, leading his girls back to the pitch for year seven, he proudly expressed his enthusiasm to get the season underway, no matter how formidable the road ahead may seem.

“It really just makes the game a little bit easier when you just test yourself all season long,” Crawford said.

“I can't wait to see what our girls do tomorrow night and into the season.”