A big part of St. Aloysius’ offense left when Andrea Harrison took her 107 goals with her to Mississippi State.

Still, Lady Flashes coach Karen Carroll thinks her team will be just fine. The Vicksburg Post’s 2006 Coach of the Year, says this season’s team was able to pick up added experience in the offseason.

&#8220Every one of our girls here were playing club ball over the spring and summer,” Carroll said. &#8220They got in another 25 to 30 games. I think that’s going to help us. It’s still a really young team. We’ve got three seventh-graders, two eighth-graders and only one senior.”

Two juniors, Haley Davis and Taylor George, will be counted on to help take up the scoring burden left by Harrison, the Post’s 2006 Player of the Year. The Lady Flashes were 16-7-1 last season with Harrison leading the way with 35 goals.

&#8220Haley and Taylor can mix it up. I think they’ll divy up the goals for us,” Carroll said.

George thinks so, too.

&#8220It’ll be different without that one person who did most of our scoring. But I think Haley and I can get goals. We’ve improved every year. We played Madison St. Joe to a goal last year, and that came on a penalty kick after they called us for a hand ball,” George said.

Rebecca Sigh says the new players will help out as well.

&#8220We have some young players who are working on everything,” Sigh said.

&#8220We’ve gotten better every year and we’ve gotten closer toward beating Madison St. Joe and St. Andrew’s,” Carroll said. &#8220I just wish we could get some of our big crosstown schools to play us.”

St. Al has three games scheduled this season against teams from the Monroe area, but will not play either Vicksburg or Warren Central.

The St. Al boys enjoyed a 17-4-1 season and made the 1A-2A-3A soccer playoffs last season. But second year coach Jason Hopkins faces a rebuilding task this year.

&#8220We’re not as strong as last year,” was Hopkins’ assessment. &#8220We lost nine starters and it has been a blow. All my defense is gone.”

The two lone holdovers back are Bray Jones and Jase Ebersole. Jones will take over as the main striker for the Flashes.

Ebersole will move to the back and try and anchor the defense at sweeper. Matt Thornton will take over keeper duties.