Three Lightning Soccer Club (LSC) teams came out on top and four teams finished second in their respective divisions in the Granite State Soccer League this spring, the best showing by Lightning Soccer in its 26 year history. Late winter, LSC brought on several new professional coaches to further enhance the club’s coaching staff, including Charles Mhluari, the former Head Coach for the Zimbabwe Men’s National Team.  “We are thrilled to have such a diverse and talented coaching staff. The addition of Charles as Director of Coaching, with his extensive experience on the international stage at both the youth and professional levels, has been a tremendous asset for the club this spring” says Kris Graham, President Lightning Soccer Club. 

LSC U12 Boys Green

The Under-12 Girls, led by Olympic Develop Program coach Cindy Bennett, posted a near perfect 7-1-0 record in league play, outscoring their opponents by a margin of 30 goals. The State Cup finalist Under-13 boy’s team, under the direction of Kimball Union Academy coach and former Hanover High boy’s coach Chris Cheney, also came out on top with a 7-0-1 record. The U-13 boys, ranked 195th in the country, is the first LSC team to win the prestigious Needham Tournament in the Premier Division, beating some of the top teams from Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont for this honor. The Under-12 boy’s team, led by former Colgate men’s coach Mike Doherty, was undefeated with an 8-0-0 record in league play. The team, ranked 166th in the country, is heading to West Virginia on July 2nd to represent the state of NH in regional play. 

Four other Lightning teams narrowly missed the top spot in their divisions. Finishing second were the U16 girls, U14 boys, U15 boys, and U18 boys. All combined, the 12 LSC travel teams posted an impressive 57 wins, 30 losses, and 7 ties in Granite State League competition, outscoring their opponents by more than a 2-1 margin.