Berkley Girls Soccer Team Returns Just Two Seniors

Audrey Duncan can feel the heat of the spotlight.

It’s shining directly on her.

Then again, when you’re one of just two seniors returning to a team that is defending district champion, it’s hard not to have the eyes of teammates, opponents and fans staring right at you.

The senior will see whether she is up to the challenge of helping to carry the team as the Bears aim for a second consecutive girls soccer district title in the 2011 spring sports campaign.

The Bears officially begin the regular season at 7 p.m. Thursday with a nonconference matchup Thursday at Walled Lake Northern.

What is it like to only have two seniors on the team?

“It’s crazy,” said Duncan, who is co-captain with junior Julie Shields. “I wish there were more seniors, because with all these freshmen, we need to be leaders. ... There’s only two of us, so we just have to kind of depend on the juniors a lot to help show leadership.”

Duncan and senior Katie Murphy will try to fill a void left by 10 seniors who graduated from last year’s team.

“They were all very good, too, that’s the hard part about it,” Berkley head coach Cliff Brandmier said of his team’s massive face-lift. “It’s not like they were just 10 bodies. They were 10 skilled, motivated players.”

Duncan and Murphy are both four-year players.

However, Murphy suffered a back injury as a freshman that kept her sidelined for a significant amount of time.

Nonetheless, she is up for the challenge of this season.

"We are training at 110 percent every day, getting faster and stronger, ready to show it in the game," Murphy said. "Sure, our team is young but that makes it all the better in my opinion.

Duncan didn’t make the varsity team out of the gate as a freshman, but she was moved up and into a starting role four games into the season because of her talent.

But like their predecessors, the two seniors on this year's team are not just “bodies” taking up a roster spot.

“They bring a lot of heart and determination,” said Brandmier, who is in his fourth season coaching the Berkley girls squad. “Ever since they were freshmen, they always wanted to be the best of the best.

“I think just their determination and ... since they both played on higher-level club teams this year, I think that should help a lot.”

Murphy has committed to play for Olivet College, a Division III program in Olivet, in the fall.

What does Murphy bring to the mix?

“Katie Murphy is very funny,” junior Stephanie Miller said. “She’s probably somebody who will always make you laugh.”

Duncan is still in the midst of the recruiting process. She is considering playing for Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor or Ferris State University in Big Rapids. Another possibility for the fall is for Duncan to play club soccer and attend Oakland Community College while roster spots and scholarship opportunities at the Division I level open up for 2012.

What kind of player is Duncan?

“She’s a beast,” Miller said. “If you run into her, you’re going to fall down, and she’s going to stand there and look at you.”

Duncan and Murphy will be supported by a mix of juniors, sophomores and five freshmen.

Madison Cross is one of those freshmen who will need to compete.

What is it like making the varsity team in the first year of high school?

“Um, it’s kind of scary,” Cross said with a smile.

The 10 seniors from last season’s squad played key roles in helping Berkley advance to the Division 2 regionals. The Bears’ playoff run ended in the semifinals when Ann Arbor Skyline eked out a 1-0 victory.

Gone from the mix is Berkley’s top player from the Class of 2010, Natalie Zimmerman, who won all-state first-team, all-regional and all-district honors after finishing with a 20-goal performance. She now plays for Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, IN.

While there may not be many seniors on this year's roster, the Bears do have some experienced juniors suiting up.

Shields, the team’s other co-captain, has been starting in goal for Berkley since she was a freshman. She was selected as the team MVP in 2010 after posting 10 shutouts.

Giving the Bears an offensive spark will be junior Stephanie Miller, who scored 10 goals in each of her freshman and sophomore campaigns. She added eight assists as a sophomore despite missing part of the season due to injury. She had 27 goals this past fall for her competitive travel soccer team.

Instead of always looking to the upperclassmen to lead the way, the juniors will need to help share some of the leadership duties on this season’s squad.

“We all have to step up and kind of be like a senior because there are so many young players,” Miller said. “We have to adjust and get used to having more younger people.”

Miller is optimistic that this season can be a success even with such a big turnover.

“There were so many seniors last year that had such a huge part, and losing them is hard, but we could probably still do it because we’re so young and we have good freshmen and good returning players,” Miller said.