The results have gotten progressively better for the Chantilly High girls' soccer team over its first three games this season. The Chargers, who went 10-3-2 last year, lost their opener to visiting Fairfax High, 1-0, on March 14. In its next game, Chantilly played Concorde District opponent and home team Herndon to a 2-2 tie on March 22. Then on March 28, the Chargers earned their first win of the season when they defeated district opponent Oakton, 1-0, at Chantilly.
Chantilly, during the first month stretch of the season, had one game — a scheduled March 16 non-district home game versus Wakefield — postponed due to poor weather.
So it's been an uneven start to the spring for Chantilly, the 2009 Northern Region champions who were eliminated by Lee High in a first round region playoff game last year.
"So far, we've started off a bit slowly," said Chantilly coach Melissa Bibbee. "We have a loss to Fairfax and a tie to Herndon. We had some major injury issues early and are working back into the swing."
Key players back in this year's line-up include senior defender/forward Madyson Brown, who is set to play college soccer at James Madison University next year; junior forward Jackie Sieder; junior midfielder Olivia Colella; senior defender Elizabeth Casey; junior defender Lauren Yates, and junior midfielder Emily Strait.
Chantilly has a solid, talented team and will look to have another strong regular season like a year ago. And at postseason time, the Chargers will be highly motivated, after last spring's early elimination at regionals, to go as far as possible.
"We ended last year with a good overall record, but lost at the first round of regionals to Lee," said Bibbee. "This year we are hoping to improve our finishing ability."
Chantilly was scheduled to play a non-district home game versus Langley earlier this week on Tuesday, April 5. Later this week, the Chargers are set to compete at the Lees Summit West Missouri Adidas Heart of America Showcase from April 7- 9 in Kansas City.