The O'Fallon girls soccer team had its share of success in 2010, but = it left=20 coach Craig Dippel wanting more.
O'Fallon was 11-4-2 last season, including a 4-1-1 mark (second = place) in the=20 Southwestern Conference. The Panthers lost 2-0 to Collinsville in a = Class 3A=20 regional semifinal.
"We started off the season with a loss to (eventual Class 2A state = champion)=20 Althoff, but everybody lost to them," Dippel said. "Then we went 9-0-1 = in our=20 next 10 games.
"We were one game away from winning the Southwestern Conference, = which is=20 something we haven't done since we've been in it."
The Panthers lost only three players to graduation, though one of = those=20 losses was four-year starter Jessie York, who is now playing at = Bellarmine=20 University.
"Replacing her is going to be tough, but we have a lot of experience = coming=20 back," Dippel said. "All but one or two girls were on our postseason = roster last=20 year. A big group of our juniors and seniors have been playing since = they were=20 freshmen."
Senior Alaina Bauer returns in goal after tearing a knee ligament and = broke=20 five orbital bones in her face in game against Gibault midway through = last=20 season. Bauer will split time with sophomore Hannah Poteet, who took = over after=20 she was injured.
"The end of February was the first time Alaina had been released (by = her=20 doctor) to do anything," Dippel said. "Right now, the plan is for them = to=20 alternate games."
Returning starters on defense are juniors Mikayla Moeller and Alley = Griggs=20 and senior Michelle Votrain. Junior Rachel Federhofer, who missed the = past two=20 seasons with knee injuries, is finally healthy and is expected to start. = Sophomore Kaley Bell and junior Jenna Schwarz should also see playing = time.
"Rachel was able to play club ball this year (for Scott Gallagher) = and she=20 looks great," Dippel said. "She adds a tremendous amount of versatility = in the=20 backfield."
Junior Kelly Hobbs (three goals, two assists) returns for her third = season at=20 center midfield. Junior Brooke Reed (three goals, one assist) and = sophomore=20 Megan Delia are the other center midfielders. Reed missed part of last = season=20 after dislocating a knee against Columbia.
The outside midfielders are junior Kirsten Crabtree (seven goals, two = assists) and Alyssa Soehlke and seniors Amanda Schwarz (four goals, two = assists)=20 and Emily Kalert (three goals). Soehlke was a defender last season.
The Panthers have a pair of returning forwards in junior Paige = Pfankuch (11=20 goals, six assists) and sophomore Lauren Knight (six goals, two = assists). Junior=20 Kristie Karibian, a military transfer from Okinawa, Japan, is also in = the=20 mix.
"Lauren Knight plays a very high caliber of soccer," Dippel said. = "She was=20 overseas for about a week and a half with the ODP (Olympic Development = Program)=20 team at the U-17 level and also plays for Scott Gallagher."
O'Fallon opened the season March 23 with a 3-1 loss to Althoff.
"There's always going to be first-game jitters, even with the = experience we=20 have," Dippel said. "I was disappointed with the loss and felt we could = have=20 played a little better, but we still came out of that game with a lot of = positives."
The Panthers were slated to play host to Alton after Journal press = time=20 Tuesday and have a home game Thursday against Alton Marquette.
"We want to be right there in the race for the conference = championship=20 again," Dippel said. "We want to go farther in the playoffs. One and out = doesn't=20 sit well with me."
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