West Morris Mendham High School

The group is coming off an 8-8-1 campaign, reaching the Morris County Tournament semifinals and a North 2, Group 3 state sectional quarterfinal appearance. Mendham fell in each contest by a goal.
Fast-forward one year, Mendham is looking to make a jump. 
“There are a lot of players looking to prove themselves this year and have been training exceptionally hard the last eight months in order to be ready,” said head coach Sean Goldsworthy. 
Senior forward Lia Manuel returns following a team-leading eight goals last season. Other key players include senior midfielder/defender Adeline Perkins, senior defender Emma Kuncharia, senior midfielder/forward Sienna Laracca and senior midfielder/forward Lily Lowe. 
Following four scrimmages, Mendham gets the season underway at home against Morris Knolls on Thursday, Sept. 7. 
The team will have away contests at Mount Olive, Sparta, Morris Knolls, Oak Knoll, West Morris and Chatham. 
Mendham will host Chatham, West Morris, Mount Olive, Sparta and Bernards. 
“The schedule is a double-edged sword because the amount of games that we play has really not changed in the past, however, this is the second year the season has been shortened by two weeks,” added Goldsworthy. “So, with that being said it’s a lot of games in a condensed schedule. Our conference year in and year out is a gauntlet because every team is always competitive.” 
Mendham has not seen a losing season since 2019. The program has been competitive in recent years. The team went 10-4-3 in 2021, starting out 6-0-2. 
As far as an early-season emphasis, Goldsworthy wants to have the team as prepared as possible. 
“Our emphasis this early on in the season is to prepare each and every player day in and day out on technique, tactics and grow a bond within the program that is extremely strong,” he said. 
pnardone@newjerseyhills.com