Stoner a witness to Lenape's consistency
Every year, it seems, the same talk orbits around the Lenape girls' soccer team. Every year is supposed to be the year that Lenape finally falls back into the pack - that it loses its elite status.
Every year, it seems, the same talk orbits around the Lenape girls' soccer team.
Every year is supposed to be the year that Lenape finally falls back into the pack - that it loses its elite status.
Every year, there's no way the Indians can replace those seniors.
It's like a mantra in South Jersey. And it was especially loud this year.
The Indians graduated the area's best senior class. And they had relatively few returning upperclassmen.
But last week, Lenape had an answer for that talk - like it always does - when it beat Cherokee, then The Inquirer's No. 1 team, 1-0.
"That was the win we've been waiting for," senior midfielder Justine Stoner said. "It was huge for our confidence. And, being a team with a lot of young players, we took a lot of steps forward in that game."
Stoner has witnessed firsthand the remarkable consistency of the Lenape program. Her oldest sister, Nicolette, played for the team from 2009 to 2012. Her other sister, Brielle, graduated last year.
No one in the family has ever lost a tournament game to a South Jersey team.
That includes eight consecutive Coaches Tournament championships and eight straight South Jersey Group 4 championships.
Considering South Jersey is traditionally a hotbed for girls' soccer, the feat is hard to believe.
"I used to be a ball girl for the team when I was younger," Justine Stoner said. "And the one thing I always remember is the energy and excitement each year, the bond that the players have with each other and with the coaches. That's one thing that's never changed. And I want to make sure we keep that going."
Indians coach Kevin Meder praised Stoner's leadership. She had big shoes to fill after the Indians graduated five Inquirer All-South Jersey players in midfielders Lizzie Kinkler and Kenie Wright, forward Marissa Topolski, and goalie Alicia Hampton.
The Indians (5-2) are generally known for strong senior leadership. And though Stoner and fellow midfielder Sarah Gibson are the lone returning senior starters, they picked up where last year's class left off - teaching younger players the culture of winning that defines the program.
"She's taking much more of a leadership role not only on the field but off the field as well," Meder said.
"This is her opportunity to show that she's been a star all along. And I think she's really relishing that role, and she understands it."
On the field, Stoner, a Towson recruit, already has three goals after pairing four with 10 assists last year.
She said she's been more assertive, especially as she has been moved to center midfield from her outside midfield position last year.
"I definitely know how to handle myself more. My freshman year, I'd be a nervous wreck before a big game," she said. "But now I can enjoy it more. It's more of an excitement."
Knowing how to handle big games is one of Lenape's greatest strengths. Every year, the team's poise - a trait handed down by each senior class - carries it through tough, physical matchups with other powers like Eastern, Cherokee and Shawnee.
And that's what Stoner is trying to pass on to her teammates. With many younger players, big games will be a learning experience for many key players on the Indians.
But that doesn't change the expectations.
"In years past, we've had veterans all over the field, now we have a lot of new players who are really talented, and they work really hard," Stoner said. "I just think that every year when we come in for preseason, we don't expect anything less than to win. That's why our focus just has to be on getting better every day at practice, getting better every game - just trusting each other and becoming a close-knit group, just working hard and making sure we're the best at the end of the season."