<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Z8YEc_0vnEBF1F00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Z8YEc_0vnEBF1F00" width="375" height="500" ><figcaption>Cordelia Zwirek (left) and Lyla Chapman have led the Tewksbury High girls soccer team this fall. (Photo by Jason Cooke)</figcaption></figure>TEWKSBURY — They may only be sophomores, but when Lyla Chapman and Cordelia Zwirek step onto the soccer field, they play like seasoned veterans.Chapman — who leads the team with six goals in six games — is carrying the Tewksbury High girls soccer team’s offensive workload this fall with Zwirek, is the reigning Merrimack Valley Conference scoring champion after a fantastic freshman year in 2023.The pair of second-year standouts couldn’t be more different from each other. But that’s exactly what makes them so compatible on the pitch.“Cordelia is really skilled one-on-one, she’s a great ball carrier, and she’s really smart when she is in a critical scoring area,” said Redmen coach Brooke Pacheco. “Lyla is just super, super fast and really reads the off-ball movement well. She knows when to make the runs and how to make the runs. They really are two different players, but they work well together because they’re not doing the same thing.”Chapman and Zwirek’s offensive contributions are the primary reason Tewksbury is out to a solid 3-2-1 start to the fall campaign. They’ve accounted for 10 of the team’s 11 goals.Yes, as sophomores. “Both of them are very competent with the ball at their foot and have confidence in either taking a player one-on-one or attacking the goalkeeper,” added Pacheco. “It’s hard to come by in soccer players sometimes. Sometimes you have those players who just want to pass the ball off and sit back and support. I have two forwards who have that drive to the goal, which is really rare.”Chapman made her debut with Tewksbury last season as a defensive midfielder, occupying a box-to-box role that didn’t put her in many offensive situations. But after an early-season tweak shifted her to left striker, the Redmen boasted another threat in their arsenal of weapons.“I like it,” she said of her new role. “I want to keep scoring, and not just to feel good about myself. I want to help the team and I obviously want us to win. I enjoy it.”On the other hand, Zwirek is coming off a potent rookie season that saw her produce a whopping 18 goals and four assists. That’s certainly one way to make your mark.“It was a great honor to be put on varsity and to get that opportunity,” she said. “I never thought that it would go as far as it did. I thought maybe I would get a couple of goals and that I would start at some point. I never thought that it would be what it was, which was amazing.”Now that Chapman has joined Zwirek in the striker position, they have developed quite an offensive connection. “It’s a lot of give-and-goes,” said Chapman. “She’ll make a run and get the ball and I’ll run off of her. We work very well together.”Zwirek has high praise for her new partner in crime.“She is phenomenal up there,” said Zwirek. “She is doing amazing, and it’s great to see her do so well.”Chapman or Zwirek didn’t become two of the more notable faces in the Merrimack Valley Conference’s girls soccer landscape overnight. Both are active participants in the club scene, and they sure know how to get after it.Chapman plays for NEFC as well as in the Olympic Development Program, where she plays in tournaments worldwide. She most recently competed in Spain and is planning to play in Italy in the future.“It’s a lot of training with different types of coaches so I get to see different types of soccer, which I think makes my IQ for the game way better,” said Chapman.Zwirek plays for North Shore Select and was a frequent flyer on the TMHS turf this summer to polish her skills.“Over the summer I came out to the field whenever I could to get my shots. I ran a lot, I drilled my footwork and I drilled whatever I could by myself,” Zwirek said.This season, she feels more conditioned. She participated on the track and field team in the spring and is seeing those gains pay dividends. “My endurance is my biggest thing,” she said. “I feel like I have a lot more energy than I did because I feel like I’m more prepared for what I need to have endurance-wise. My footwork and decision-making on the ball has really picked up.”But perhaps their most impressive attribute is their composure on the field. Even with minimal varsity experience, Chapman and Zwirek stay composed — even in the most pressing situations.“They’re going to have their moments and they’re going to have their games where they feel a lot of pressure,” Pacheco said. “At the end of the day, they’re handling it really well for underclassmen. They are both really mature for being sophomores.”The Redmen are embarking on a grueling schedule ahead, meeting the likes of Central Catholic, North Andover, and Lowell. It’s safe to say Pacheco’s sophomore stalwarts will be called upon to make some noise.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Sophomore jump: Zwirek and Chapman have TMHS girls soccer pointed in the right direction

TEWKSBURY — They may only be sophomores, but when Lyla Chapman and Cordelia Zwirek step onto the soccer field, they play like seasoned veterans. Chapman — who leads the team with six goals in six games — is carrying the Tewksbury High girls soccer team’s offensive workload this fall with Zwirek, is the reigning Merrimack Valley Conference scoring champion after a fantastic freshman year in 2023.

Sophomore jump: Zwirek and Chapman have TMHS girls soccer pointed in the right direction

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