The Gibault Catholic High School girls soccer team will have plenty of familiar faces from last year’s squad that finished 8-10 and won a regional title.

With 11 returning seniors, depth will most certainly not be an issue.

“I hope we do well, we have 11 seniors,” first-year Gibault head coach Hanna Schuermann said. “They’re a really good group of girls and they know how to play soccer well together.”

Although this is Schuermann’s first year at the helm of the team, she’s been coaching all 11 seniors since they were freshmen. Schuermann served as an assistant coach for the past three seasons under Matt Reeb before taking over as the head coach for 2016.

“I’m really glad I have this opportunity to be their coach and have 11 seniors, but they know what they’re doing. I have a really good group of girls,” Schuermann said. “My first year was actually their freshman year. I was an assistant for the past three years, so these are like my first incoming freshmen.”

Not only does the team have a senior-heavy roster, they return all three top scoring threats.

“It would be Carley Olson, Abby Hasenstab and Maddie O’Neill. They’re our biggest threats up top,” Schuermann said.

Olson led the team with 14 goals and added six assists last season. Hasenstab scored 13 goals and had eight assists. O’Neill scored seven goals with nine assists. Of course, all three are seniors.

Other seniors are Jess Wittenauer, Nicole Swindle, Monica Shuler, Rebecca Muich, Abbie Meyer, Robyn Lindsey and Paige Lane.

Schuermann is trying a different approach to playing this year.

“Last year, we tried to send the ball up and finish that way,” Schuermann said. “I’m trying to get them to play more possession. So, the past two games, they’ve really held onto the ball well and the other teams haven’t really had too many opportunities.”

Last season, the team fell to Alton Marquette in the sectional championship game.

The seniors will lead this year’s team. With that much experience, Schuermann said that it makes her job easy.

The Hawks opened play in the Metro Cup tourney last week, falling to Marion in the first game before posting decisive wins over both Highland and Freeburg.

Key early regular season tests for Gibault will be March 31 at Edwardsville and April 2 at Oerter Park against cross-town rival Waterloo.