With only a handful of graduating seniors to replace, both Collegiate and Benedictine hope to make a return appearance to the Virginia Independent Schools’ boys soccer tournament this season.

  Last year, the Cougars won the Prep League and advanced to the VIS finals, losing on penalty kicks to nationally ranked Episcopal of Alexandria. They lost only three starters, Chris Bean (of Goochland), Joachim Katchinoff and Michael Blair.

  Collegiate returns some heavy hitters, however. One is junior midfielder Michael Howard – who shared VIS state player of the year honors with Alex Smith of Episcopal. Howard also earned All-Prep League and All-Metro honors. Senior defender Andrew Elliott, last year’s Prep League Player of the Year as well as VIS All-State and All-Metro honoree, returns and is one of the Cougars’ team captains this year. A third important returnee is senior forward Andrew Elliott. Elliott was the region’s top scorer with 16 goals and five assists, earning VIS All-State, All-Prep-League and All-Metro honors.

  Sophomore Brady Straus and junior Thomas Hatcher return in the midfield, and another key player, senior forward Timmy Albright returns after missing almost all of last year because of surgery.

  Finally, senior goalkeeper Richard Byrd returns—but as he is the Cougars’ only keeper, he exposes an important weakness in Collegiate’s lineup.

  “It’s critical that we stay healthy with only one goalkeeper and a couple of other guys who, if they went down, it would be awfully tough to plug somebody into those spots,” said Collegiate coach Charlie Blair.

  Blair said the other players it would be especially hard to replace are Elliott and Howard.

  The Cougars plan to play an aggressive style of soccer this year.

  “We play a possession game and we’re going to try to knock it around and get a lot guys forward in the attack,” Blair said.

  But that strategy requires good team chemistry, something that takes time to build.

  “We’re developing that chemistry that you get form playing together,” said Blair. “We do a lot of small-sided stuff. … Build from the small sides to a full roster—get all 11 guys on the same page, that’s what we’re working towards.”

  Benedictine made it to the VIS quarterfinals last year, where they were eliminated by St. Stephen’s-St. Agnes. Like Collegiate, the Cadets fielded a young team last year, losing only three starters to graduation.

  They are fielding another young team this year, with a solid group of juniors led by forward Colton Konvicka—their leading scorer—and midfielders Daniel Gill and Hunter Morgan. But Benedictine expects strong leadership from its two senior captains, forward Robert Meachem and defender Ian Simmons.

  The experience of the Cadets’ relatively young starting 11 bodes well for Benedictine’s postseason ambitions.

  “We have a lot of experience from our back four to the top of our forwards,” said Benedictine assistant coach Ryan Hall. “I think we’ll be able to possess the ball pretty well, and we’ll have pretty good chemistry.”

  The Cadets’ work ethic and teamwork also impresses Hall.

  “The kids are very disciplined, they get after it,” Hall said. “There’s no ‘I’ on the team. When they’re playing , they’re playing with each other.”