This year, with key players senior Mckenzi Crase, senior Ren Norris, junior Kari Clark and junior Courtney Brandt returning, the girls’ soccer team is confident that they will win the De Anza league and go to CCS as they did last year, despite a new coaching staff and only three returning seniors.

“We are definitely a younger team this year, but I think we can still make CCS,” said Clark.

This year, there is a completely new coaching system, with coach Molly Flannigan leading the team. Flannigan, who played soccer at San Jose State and Menlo College, has been an experienced coach for several years. She coached for the San Mateo Soccer Club for 5 years and for the MP Strikers for 3 years before joining Saratoga as the boys’ varsity assistant last year. This is her first year with the girls’ team.

“I think we have a good chance this year because our new coach is also a club coach,” said Crase.

Kim Anzalone, also an APUSH and history and film teacher, was the coach last year but is acting as a team manager this year.

“For the girls, I felt I had taken the varsity team as far as I could, given the time involved in coaching while also teaching full time,” Anzalone said. “I just felt that I couldn’t put in the amount of time that it would take to really do justice to our girls.”

One other change is that boys’ varsity head coach Adam Clarke is now in charge of the whole soccer program. The hope is to push all teams to a higher skill level and create better bonds between them.

“By supporting and training with each other, the players will get an experience that will only enrich any great coaching they get,” Anzalone said.

Another big change this year is preseason will be shorter than usual due to the girls’ club tournaments for other sports at the end of November.

Tryouts started on Nov. 1. The girls play their first preseason game on Nov. 29 against Monte Vista, and their league play begins on Jan. 5.

“We lost a lot of good seniors last year, but we still have a lot of talented players,” said Crase.