The Turlock High girls soccer team is starting their season next week after COVID forced them to play a spring season last school year. With the team coming off an impressive season, they are looking to build upon that momentum and have success this year.

The Bulldogs went 8-2 last season with all games being within the league due to pandemic-related restrictions. The Bulldogs will get the preseason started on Nov. 15 with an away game against Buhach Colony. League play starts seven games later on Jan. 5 with another away game against Gregori.

One player to watch is senior Gracen Daubenberger who was the leading scorer for the team last season. Other players to pay attention to are fellow seniors Macy Max and Kaylee Redman, who head coach Nicole Lonegran calls a “playmaker.”

Daubenberger accounted for almost 30% of the team's goals last season with 10 and Redman was responsible for almost 20% of the team’s assists with five.

With the team having to deal with pandemic restrictions, social distancing and quarantine measures last year, the team is excited to have a season that looks more like ‘normal.’

“I am looking forward to a great season this year and happy that we will have a more normal season after a shortened quarantined season last year. We are lucky to have a lot of returning varsity players, with some strong new additions,” Lonegran said. “I am lucky to coach an extraordinary group of talented, hardworking and competitive young ladies and I expect us to be a team to contend with this year.”

One match to mark on your calendar is the home game against cross town rival Pitman High on Jan. 7. The Bulldogs lost a close game to the Pride last season 2-1, and Pitman took home first place in the league.

The Journal will preview Pitman’s soccer teams as well as the Turlock boys team in its Saturday edition.