They’re already good with a chance to be very good. Cathedral High School girls soccer is among the state of Indiana’s most tradition-rich programs. Expectations from within are high every season. That’s particularly true for the 2025 Irish – with a lot of very good reasons. “This group has about as much potential as any I’ve ever had,” Marc Behringer said. The Irish, state champions in 2007, 2009 and 2017, began the 2025 season 9-0 – the best start Behringer can remember in his 30 seasons as head coach. A well-rounded, balanced Cathedral team beat traditional powers Noblesville and Carmel during that span. “To get a win against either of those programs in a year is a big deal,” Behringer said. “To win both sets us up to hopefully build a lot of belief as we head into the second part of the season.” The Irish with contributions from all classes – seniors to freshmen – were ranked third in the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association Class 3A poll as of September 2. “This group is ahead of most of the teams I've probably ever had as far as cohesion and a team chemistry,” Behringer said. “We just have some different pieces of the puzzle this year and the players have really done a good job of listening to what the coaches want.” The ’25 Irish in keeping with the program’s longtime tradition remain a strong defensive team, with added balance in multiple areas. Defense is key for the Irish, but it’s far from their only strength. “Stylistically, we're built from the back,” Behringer said. “We’re built to defend well. That's really our calling card once again. What's different this year is we've brought back a very experienced midfield, then added to that something that's just not typical.” The atypical addition: Freshman Saige Usher, who had 10 goals and three assists through the first 10 games. “The fact that she’s a 14-year-old freshman is really exceptional,” Behringer said. “She still has room to grow. Goal-scorers are really hard to find. Finding one that effective so early in her career, that’s a really big change for us.” The Irish in ’25 are also led by a strong, five-member senior class that includes: *Goalkeeper and captain Emma Zajac. *Midfielder and captain Alex Behringer. *Midfielder, four-year varsity player and captain Lauren Robertson. *Forward and first-year varsity player Eleanor Hendrickson. *Forward Lilly Brown, who returned to the team in 2025 after playing club soccer in the fall as a junior. One of the youngest teams in program history in 2024, the Irish this season feature underclassmen who played extensively as freshmen and sophomores who now give the Irish significant experience beyond the senior class. The Irish’s strong junior class includes defender and third-year starter Quinn Usher, defender Georgia Jenkins, defender Eliza Coe, defender Grace Drewry and midfielders Rosie Chavez, Sophia Graziano and Maryn O’Brien. “We don't have that many in the junior class,” Behringer said. “But they’ve all just had major contributions.” Key sophomores include forward Brooklyn Nickols, forward Kelsey Kauffman, defender Grace Sinsabaugh, defender Laila Meier, midfielder Shailoh Neu and goalkeeper Olivia Cummings. “The freshman group last year was really one of the reasons we were successful as we were,” Behringer said. “Five of them got significant experience last year, so they come in as sophomores, but not your typical sophomores just because of how much time they've already played.” Usher is one of two freshman starters along with forward Susie Holloway. “She very quickly has earned the respect and confidence of her teammates and the coaching staff,” Behringer said of Holloway. “Those two freshmen are stepping into a veteran team and really making a mark.” Behringer said the freshmen are just part of the reason the 2025 season has featured “probably more competition for minutes than any team I can remember.” “That tends to keep things sharp,” he said. “The coaches feel really good with the roster that we have, the entire roster. We don't hesitate to take people and plug them in during the match to see who's playing particularly well on a particular day. “We can just roll with the players in the best form during that particular match.” All of which gives the Irish a chance to have a memorable September and October to follow a very encouraging start. “We played a couple of the really historically strong programs and now the second half of our season the schedule becomes more difficult, more challenging -- which I think is good,” Behringer said. “I like the way our schedule is set up to kind of build that way. My hope is as we continue to work to get better that the girls are building a belief amongst themselves in this particular group.”