The Aurora girls soccer program has posted a 10-4-1 overall record this season and are playing for third place in the Suburban League on Thursday against Revere.

By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

There is not one simple lens that defines success for the Aurora girls soccer coach.

That is not the program head coach Domenica McClintock runs.

Surely, the Greenmen’s win-loss record is a measurement for success and it stands tall at 10-4-1.

It is mark McClintock and her staff, including assistants Adam Gharky and Paul Frankmann, are extremely proud of, but not the only one.

“We look at our program from multiple lenses that include technical, tactical, physical and psychological aspects,” McClintock said. “Once we get a good handle on where we are as a program, then, as players, we set the course for what we need to do from there.”

The good news for McClintock is that all of those aspects have received high grades and have helped keep the program on an upswinging trajectory.

No matter what category is being reviewed.

“We had several players post PRs in their fitness tests, and we had greater success rates in the various benchmarks we track from season to season,” McClintock said. “They trained harder this summer to return better than we were the season prior.”

The results have shown up from day one.

“They are on pace to have the second-highest scoring season in program history, the best record and the most goal-scorers (12 different players) than any other season,” McClintock said.

Leading the scoring barrage has been a trio of seniors: Cailyn Ries, Grace Barbour and Bailey McGee. They have combined for almost half of the team’s overall goals and assists, totaling 21 goals and 14 assists between the three of them.

Meanwhile, the defensive line has been guided by the strong play of seniors Brigid Boyle and Lizzy Pike.

“The back line has come up big in tight games like our tie against West Geauga and our win over Ellet,” McClintock said. “These seniors have not only shown our younger players the way this season, but those very players have shown they are talented and have very bright futures. This group is special to the program.”

And that includes senior Kasey Walter, who has spent the season trying to battle back from an injury that has carried over from 2021. According to McClintock, Walter has stepped up to lead the team in other ways that have still carried impact.

It has left McClintock, along with Gharky and Frankmann, beaming with pride.

“Words cannot describe how proud the coaching staff is of this team,” McClintock said. “We cannot wait to see what the rest of the season holds, but we know whatever happens, this season will be one full of so many memories that will last a lifetime.”

Aurora closes its regular season on Thursday night at home against Revere for the opportunity to finish third overall in the Suburban League.

The Greenmen will open tournament play on Wednesday, as the No. 4 seed of the Division II, Akron 3 District, against the winner of Fairview-Holy Name.