Cretin-Derham Hall Girls Soccer has started off their 2023 campaign with an 5-5-1 record including wins over Forest Lake and Bloomington Kennedy. 

The team, led by new Head Coach Phil Walczak, is looking to improve on a 5-10-2 2022 season. 

The team plays their home games at Wingerd Field on the CDH campus and they boast a 3-1-1 record there this year. When I asked Coach Walczak what he was most excited for this season, he said “I am excited to see growth of the team culture. We have really focused on a positive team environment in hopes that it will be a big differentiator when it comes to big games. We want to stay strong as a group in the face of adversity.”

One constant for the Raiders is they will play an entertaining brand of soccer. Walczak stated “We are hoping to play a fun, attack minded, and forward thinking brand of soccer. We hope to challenge the traditional views of what high school soccer should look like.” 

The Raiders roster consists of 11 seniors, 4 juniors, 5 sophomores, and one freshman. This roster allows them to compete this season while preparing for the future. Coach Walczak claims he wants his team to be able to compete in many different ways. “We hope that no one thing will be an absolute strength. Instead we hope to be very well rounded in all aspects of the game. We have strong players in all positions who are ready and willing to contribute.” 

The team is led by their upperclassmen, who have quick starts to the 2023 season, “We have seen strong early performances from Bella Halderman ’24,  Illinois State commit Annie Mulcahy ’24, Catherine Novak ’24, and Lauren Bengtson ’24. Additionally, we are looking forward to the contributions of Jane Stangler ’25, Claire Lyons ’26, and Brynn McCabe ’26. The Raiders’ recently defeated rival Visitation 5-1.