When a star player goes out with an injury, the others on the team have to dig deep and find a way to make up the difference.
That was the story for Manheim Central’s girls soccer team after losing Kyla Benner (top photo), who has battled foot injuries since fracturing her foot in seventh grade.
Now, she’s ready for the new season, and Central, which went 12-8 last year thanks to a deep roster, feels ready for a big season.
“When you lose a player like Kyla, you have to build in depth,” assistant coach Tom Erickson says.
“So this year, there’s going to be a lot of competition for varsity minutes, which is a good problem to have. We think we’re deep enough to make a good run into the district playoffs. … We’re excited about all of the possibilities for this year.”
Seniors Benner, Julia Hess (bottom left) and Aubrey Myers (bottom right) have played together since they were 5. Myers recalls, “so, over time, we’ve just become so close.”
Now, like Patrick Mahomes knowing what Travis Kelce will do on the football field before he does it, Central’s girls can predict each other’s moves ahead of time, they agree.
Erickson is told that he seems enthusiastic about the 2025 team’s chances.
“I think you’ll see it through the group, that we’re all very excited for this year," he says. "We think we can do some special things.”
Some 30 different players got varsity minutes last year, he says, forcing a lot of players to step in and fill roles.
LNP | LancasterOnline hosted Media Day at its downtown Lancaster office to connect local media with Lancaster-Lebanon League players and coaches.
