Just one week before the start of the regular season, the positive attitudes were already shining in the eyes of the Boothbay Region High School Lady Seahawks soccer team.

Under the leadership of the new head coach Kim Dionne, the Lady Seahawks’ roster is growing every day as the team returned five seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and several new faces on the lineup.

“They've made a lot of progress since preseason,” Dionne said. “We're working on just going back to the basics, because they're a new team to me.”

Looking back on last year's 1-12 record, Dionne said she wants come up with more wins and increase the shot percentage on goal.

“Last year they averaged maybe 10 shots on goal a game. This year at least 20 shots a game would be nice,” Dionne said.

Much of the Lady Seahawks strength will center on juniors Sinead Miller and Brenna Alley, who will be supported by a promising cast of Dana Greenleaf, Cagney O'Brien, Chyanne Rogers and Olivia Zaragozi-Alonso, a foreign exchange student from Spain.

“We're a lot happier and enthusiastic than last year. Last year we just kind of died out in the end,” said senior captain Evie Greenleaf, who sat on the sidelines at practice because of a broken foot she sustained in the preseason.

Last year the Lady Seahawks graduated senior goalie McKayla McFetridge who maintained a strong save percentage. This season Coach Dionne plans to alternate Jamie Wheeler and Cagney O'Brien in the net, while implementing a more aggressive style offense.

“Just pull the trigger. That's all I tell them during scrimmages,” Dionne said. “You're never going to score if you don't shoot.”

An avid soccer player in high school, Dionne draws from her experience coaching middle school soccer in Kennebec Valley. While she admits she is still familiarizing herself to the Lady Seahawks, Dionne said she sees a lot of good attitudes on the roster.

The Lady Seahawks are looking to boost team dynamics and foster development in a program widely considered an underdog sport in Boothbay. With the numbers growing in the middle school and high school ranks, a new era of soccer could be in store for the Boothbay region.

The regular season kicks off homecoming weekend at 4 p.m. on September 13 when the Lady Seahawks take on the Lisbon Greyhounds.