Riverhawks sports teams returned to practice this month with high expectations for their upcoming seasons.
Men’s and women’s soccer will play their season openers on Aug. 27 with a mix of returning veterans and new faces.
“Our women’s soccer team performed really well last year,” Athletic Director Duane Herr said, “and they’re bringing back a lot of key pieces of that team.”
The women’s team made the Region 20 Division II championship final in fall 2023, losing to Community College of Baltimore County Essex by one goal in overtime.
Head coach Jim Griffiths said he hopes to build chemistry to compete on the highest level.
“We always have high expectations,” Griffiths said. “But, it’s also a matter of how quickly you can blend players … together.”
Makenzie Boyd, a second-year nursing student and returning forward, said she wants to “improve as a team” and get to the playoffs.
Tina Tinelli, a second-year information assurance and cybersecurity student and returning defender, said it’s easy to “win games and have hard conversations when you have good chemistry on the team.”
The men’s soccer team has a new coach. (See related story on this page.)
“We want to see some continuity with our coach and allow him to get settled,” Herr said.
The men’s soccer team failed to make it to the playoffs last fall after reaching nationals two years straight. Head coach Drew Belcher said he has “high expectations” for the season.
Jayeim Blake, a second-year kinesiology student and returning goalkeeper, agreed.
“I’m expecting for [the team] to be as good as the coach wants them to be,” Blake said.
Volleyball season starts on Sept. 4 at Chesapeake College with five returners.
Head coach Tanecha Rice said she expects them to be leaders.