Bishop girls’ soccer snares second place in prestigious Viking Cup

The Bishop England High School girls’ soccer team is off to an impressive start in its first season as a Class 4-A entry.

 

Just ask some of the best Class 5-A soccer programs in the Palmetto State that battled the Bishops in the prestigious Viking Cup, which was hosted by Spring Valley High School, from Feb. 28 to March 2.

 

The Bishops posted a 3-1 record and finished in second place. They defeated Dreher High School 2-0 in the opening round, and followed it up with a 1-0 victory over Class 5-A Riverside High School, and earned a 2-1 decision over Class 5-A Chapin High to advance to the championship game.

 

However, Blythewood High School, a top-5 team in Class AAAA, topped the Bishops 1-0 in the title game.

 

Still, BE coach Netha Kreamer had reason to be encouraged as the Bishops navigate a challenging schedule.

 

“The Viking is a great preseason tournament,” Kreamer said. “It gives me and my coaching staff a litmus test for the team with in-game scenarios you just don’t get in practice. We have a chance to not only examine our strengths and weaknesses, but to see our team chemistry and our leaders come to the forefront.

 

”We were incredibly proud of the way our girls approached the tournament and the energy they brought to each and every game. It was encouraging to see how we competed against a very talented field.”

 

The Bishops were 13-8-2 last spring and reached the Class 2-AA Lower State Championship only to drop a 1-0 decision to eventual state champ Oceanside Collegiate Academy in a match that was decided on a golden goal.

 

The team lost six key seniors from the squad, including three who earned all-state recognition.

 

Kreamer is encouraged that the team has depth at every grade and has a number of players who are dynamic enough to play multiple positions.

 

“Having a relatively young team is fun, and sometimes challenging, but leaning into the kids that have been on varsity in previous years really helps us maintain the culture we want and expect,” Kreamer said. “(Senior) Evey Trego was awarded the Ashley Nicole Dent Senior MVP Scholarship at the Viking Cup and is setting a great example for our young players.

 

“Liz Brady is a junior who has been on varsity since she was a freshman, continues to be our workhorse in the middle of the field, controlling our game and leading by example,” Kreamer added. “Sophia DeMarco and Ava Delpino, both sophomores, continue to produce goals and assists and are demonstrating the work effort we want to see from all of our girls.“

 

The Bishops’ tough schedule continued after the Viking Cup. They lost to Class 5-A state power Wando High School and were scheduled to play 5-A West Ashley High this week.

 

“In terms of strength of schedule, those surely are strong sides to kick us off,” Kreamer said. 

 

“That said, if we want to be our best, we have to play the best, and we try to prepare for each game with the same energy and effort. In terms of losing seniors, part of the challenge of high school sports is that every year you have kids graduate, and every year you bring in younger players. It’s ever-evolving, but other schools must adjust each year as well. While having a large class of graduates can be difficult, we have a team full of talented players this year.”