RETURNING LETTERWINNERS FOR THE WEBSTER CITY GIRLS SOCCER SQUAD are, front row (left to right): Naomi Ortiz, Sandra Cruz, Megan VanDeer, Jayme Perez and Julia Griep. Back: Lovie Pruismann, Kate Feltz, Ashlee Nydegger, Heidi Mendoza, Fina Johnson and Janey Putney. (Photo by Patrick Coons)

Kristine Mason sees a connection with her Webster City girls soccer team — both to the game and to each other.

That chemistry hopes to be a guiding force to the Lynx on the pitch in 2026.

“This is probably the most committed I’ve seen a group of players,” Mason said. “From their initiative in the offseason, getting together for workouts or pick up, and to the numbers we’ve seen at open gyms.

“There’s a real chemistry among these athletes on and off the field. They really want to play for each other and hold each other accountable. I expect them to continue this commitment throughout the season and have it pay off in a big way.”

Returning for the Lynx are seniors Janey Putney, Ashlee Nydegger, Jayme Perez, Heidi Mendoza, Julie Griep and Kate Feltz. Juniors Megan VanDeer and Sandra Fuentes-Cruz, along with sophomore Fina Johnson, are also back.

“These girls want to win,” Mason said. “I’d like to see us land in the top three in the conference, take down some teams we’ve struggled to beat, and make it to the second round of regionals.

“We have two (former) players in college, and I’d love for that to inspire others who have collegiate potential as well.”

The Lynx will be without junior standout Lovie Pruismann, who is sidelined after suffering a season-ending injury.

“We’re devastated that Lovie will be out, but expect a lot of leadership out of her from the sidelines,” Mason said. “She is a huge piece of our backline and attack, so we have some work to do to fill this role.”

With a strong group of returnees and the incoming freshman class, Mason sees a lot of potential in her roster developing into something highly productive.

“Our roster is currently sitting at 34 players, including many freshmen we have yet to see play,” Mason said. “I’m encouraged by the strong growth in numbers of the program, and hope our leaders continue to instill work ethic and our team-first mentality.”

The Lynx finished the regular season strong last spring, winning five of their final eight games.

Putney led the Lynx in attacking with 15 goals. Fuentes-Cruz registered six goals, while Perez contributed three and Mendoza tallied two.

“Our strengths on and off the field will be our leadership and how far we’ve come both technically and tactically,” Mason said. “We have many upperclassmen who’ve played multiple seasons with me and they are understanding how to combine and build from the back.

“Their level of confidence is bringing the level of play up for the whole team.”

Mason hopes her squad can build a solid foundation early on that will create results as the season progresses.

“We’ve used the first two weeks to ensure everyone has a good fitness base,” Mason said. “We are typically a bit smaller in size than the better teams in our conference, so we have some work to do in the gym to get stronger and in soccer shape.”

Webster City opens its season at home on Monday against Humboldt at 5:30 p.m.