Rollin' with the changes

Soccer teammates Simone Kolander and Taylor Brownrigg know how to adapt.

Each of the past three years, the Lakeville North players have come to the soccer field with a new coaching staff, a different game plan and, often, a roster overhaul. The Panthers graduated 14 seniors two years ago and 12 last year.

"It's been a little difficult," Kolander said. "Every year I play it's like a fresh new team."

Said Brownrigg, "Every year it takes a little getting used to."

Three coaches and new approaches in three years hardly suggests a crisis in the Lakeville North girls' soccer program, which is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A.

With co-head coaches Josh Linde and Bulut Ozturk, Lakeville North appears to have found the perfect marriage. With only a couple of games left in the regular season, the Panthers are undefeated at 12-0-2, outscoring opponents 54-5.

The whopping 49-goal differential is a testament to the team's depth and strength, which starts in goal and extends through the sideline to all 17 girls on the team.

"You look at her and she's so small," Kolander said. "But she's unreal. She can get the high ones, too."

The sophomore strength continues with "the Laurens" at the two center back positions. Best friends Lauren Brownrigg, Taylor's sister, and Lauren Sherry anchor this critical part of the field along with seasoned senior outside backs.

Kolander, a junior, has garnered Division I interest since her freshman year. But when Lakeville is attacking, opposing teams can't just focus on her as the team's main scorer. Linde came up with a proposal to make sure that didn't happen by challenging her to lead the state in assists.

"Because if she leads the state in assists, we kind of can't be stopped offensively," Linde said.

Kolander, a standout basketball player, had 16 goals and 24 assists through Tuesday. As she dishes the ball, the rest of the roster finishes. A seven-goal game usually means seven different names on the score sheet.

"She's absolute blood and guts," Linde said. "If I were starting a men's league team, I'd put her on the men's league team."

A formation change in the beginning of the year forced the players to adapt once again, this time to a possession-driven strategy. It forces a group of extremely talented girls to play unselfishly, often giving up the ball more than they're used to.

"The girls are giving away any personal goals and putting the team in front," Linde said. "I didn't know if that was possible. It's pretty cool to see it happen now.