Newton girls head soccer coach Susan Altemeier has a new assistant coach this season. Altemeier herself is in her eighth year leading the Cardinals. Adyson Blom is back assisting her again, along with new assistant coach Ashley Sorensen. Altemeier says Sorensen has a varied playing and coaching background.

“She played a couple of years at the high school level, and then she played college ball. She also, in the Kansas City area, did youth and some other club ball, and then she’s done a lot with YMCA programs. Her husband, George, runs the Newton YMCA, so she helps with those programs as well. So she has a lot of experience with youth and adolescence in coaching soccer.”

Altemeier has her two leading scorers back from last season in Sophia Coady and Alivia Ross, who netted 20 and 14 goals respectively. Coady, who is now a sophomore, also led the team in assists last year with 11. That was half the team’s total. The Newton girls soccer team’s record last season was 9-6-3, and Altemeier believes this year’s team can improve on that.

The Cardinals first game is next Thursday at home against Marshalltown.