A Conversation with NHS 2026 Girl’s Soccer Head Coach Eric Shelton

The key word/concept that I believe this season will hinge upon is trust. This is one of our reset words that we use in situations in which we confront adversity. We want to create an atmosphere where players trust each other, trust the process that has been set to achieve short term and long-term goals, and trust that we have done the work to give ourselves the best chance possible to achieve those goals. We recognize that hard work is expected, but hard work does not necessarily guarantee results.

The long-term goal of the NHS program is to make it to the state tournament. We recognize this is a long-term goal that can only be achieved if we make progress over the course of multiple seasons. For this season, the goal is to finish higher that we finished last season in the district standings.

We are a young team with only one senior, our roster numbers are lower than in the past and with that some players will be forced into situations that will be very challenging. If we are able to successfully navigating these challenges while supporting each other it will be a great accomplishment for our program.

We have several players that we will rely on to help us achieve our on-the-field goals including a stellar pair of sophomore goal keepers: Ava Veinbergs and Morgan Givens. It would be hard to find a better tandem of Sophomore keepers across the state. Avery Bea and Grace Shone will be leading the attack for NHS this year (another pair of sophomores). Anchoring the defense will be Caden Joseph (junior) and Sunny Moynihan (sophomore).