Two days before the Dartmouth High School Girl Varsity Soccer Team began their season this year, they had a quick unexpected coach change. Long-time coach Mark Poirier retired after over 30 years of coaching. Replacing Mr. Poirier was Dartmouth High Biology Teacher Scott Boudria.

Coach Poirier, the first girls varsity soccer coach, retired this year leaving his mark on the soccer program. He started the girls soccer program in 1987.

Taking his place is the former Junior Varsity coach Mr. Boudria. Mr. Boudria seemed delighted to fill the coach’s position.  When asked about the coach’s retirement, Coach Boudria said, “He felt that it was an appropriate time.”

Surprisingly Coach Boudria said he was notified about the transition to varsity coach 35 minutes before the team’s first game. Even though the sudden change in coaches was unexpected the team is doing very well. The team is 5-1-1.Coach Boudria said,“The young ladies are working hard and at the same time enjoying it.”

Coach Poirier is missed and remembered by members of the team. Sarah Sughrue, a member of the girls varsity soccer team said, “He was appreciated and a role model for the team in terms of exhibiting true sportsmanship on and off the soccer field.”

Sarah Sughrue said, “The thing I miss most about Coach Poirier was his unwavering level of professionalism. He always treated his players and opponents with the utmost level of respect and kindness.”

Chloe Martinez said, “The transition was really easy because of Boudria. He always makes sure that we are honest with each other and if we have any questions about something to always say it.”

Charlotte Correiro, a girls varsity soccer player said, “It has been an adjustment for all of us, with Poirier leaving, but Coach Boudria has coached many of us and we all know him from our years in the program.”

It might have been sad to move from one coach to another but Martinez said how comfortable the switch was and how the team agreed. “I think we all were very excited to play with Boudria,” she said,” and knew he was going to be a great coach.”

Sughrue said, “Coach Boudria has brought a lot of positivity to the team. When it was first announced that he was the new varsity coach, I think everyone was unsure about what that meant for the team.”

The way Coach Boudria energizes the team makes the team stronger. Sughrue said, “He came in with an energetic attitude and motivated us from the get-go to really push each other. His motivational quotes before games are fantastic.” Not only did Coach Boudria make the switching of coaches easier, he “has brought with him a sense of sisterhood that our team lacked in previous years, which helped to unify the team.”

Charlotte Correiro said that Boudria is “built around the idea of family, and Boudria dubbed us “15 sisters” before one game and we’ve stuck with it.”

Practices have changed since there has been a new coach but Sughrue said, The most significant difference has been the introduction of new drills into our practices to help strengthen different areas of the team’s game. These include new one-on-one and defensive-based drills.”

Despite all the coaching staff changes on the girls soccer teams, the players describe the change as a comfortable switch. Come support the varsity girls soccer team at their next home game against Bridgewater on October 23 at 6 pm.