PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — The Calvert High School girls soccer team enters the 2026 season with a talented roster, strong team chemistry, and one goal in mind — competing for a state championship.
After falling to McDonough in last year’s playoffs, the Lady Cavaliers are using that experience as motivation heading into the new season. Head coach Baker believes the disappointment from that loss has helped fuel the team’s preparation and focus during the offseason.
“Our expectations always [are to] win states,” Baker said. “I think they’re a little upset they got knocked out of the playoffs last year by McDonough. It was a good game, lost to a good team, but I think they felt they could go further. This year they want to make it all the way to the state championship.”
Calvert has spent the offseason focused on improving fitness and building chemistry among players from different grade levels. Baker said the team has had strong participation during summer workouts, with more than 10 players consistently attending and sometimes more than 20 players showing up.
“So far they’ve looked good,” Baker said. “We’ve had good participation from the middle of June until now. It’s always hard with people’s vacations and college camps, but we’ve consistently had more than 10 girls out here, sometimes as many as 20-plus.”
Senior midfielder Gwen Eggleton believes the team’s chemistry will be one of its biggest strengths this season.
“I think we have a very good team dynamic,” Eggleton said. “We all get along really well. I think we’re all very strong players independently, and I think that really helps us when we all come together.”
Eggleton, who has played soccer since she was 5 years old, said the team’s offseason conditioning has helped prepare players for the demands of a full 90-minute match.
“We’ve gone on a lot more long-distance runs, and I think it’s helped us a lot with our fitness test and getting ready to play that full 90-minute aspect of soccer,” Eggleton said.
One of Calvert’s biggest areas of focus this season will be improving offensively. While the Cavaliers have built a reputation for strong defense, Baker believes the team’s ability to create and finish scoring opportunities will be key.
“The biggest thing is having confidence in themselves when they’re trying to score,” Baker said. “We lacked some goal scoring in big opportunities last year. We have some goals this year to score at least 20 more goals, which I think will take us to some of the next levels against the better teams.”
Calvert returns seven or eight starters from last season’s team, giving the Cavaliers valuable experience heading into a challenging schedule.
“We have seven to eight returning starters from last year’s team that have a lot of experience playing since their freshman year,” Baker said. “I expect them to really play well and at a high level.”
For Eggleton, her time at Calvert has helped her grow as both a player and a person. She said gaining confidence has been one of the biggest improvements throughout her high school career.
“It’s definitely helped me come out of my shell and be more confident as a player,” Eggleton said. “Before I felt like I was very insecure in my playing, and I felt like I couldn’t shoot as well. I think I’ve definitely grown in that aspect of confidence.”
As one of the team’s seniors, Eggleton also hopes to help younger players adjust to the high school level and understand the importance of supporting their teammates.
“Just because you’re a freshman, that doesn’t mean anything,” Eggleton said. “When you’re on the field, you’re all the same age, all with the same ability to play soccer.”
Baker said team chemistry has always been a major part of Calvert’s success. The program emphasizes that every player has a role, including those who contribute from the sideline through encouragement and support.
“We have a culture here where we have what we call CBC, which is Calvert Bench Crew,” Baker said. “Even the players that are on the bench play a lot into what we’re doing because they’re constantly being positive and cheering the team on.”
The Lady Cavaliers will face another competitive Southern Maryland Athletic Conference schedule this season, with matchups against rivals including North Point, Huntingtown, Northern, and McDonough.
Baker believes the conference will once again feature some of the strongest teams in the state.
“At the top end of the top four or five teams, they’ll compete at the highest levels of the state,” Baker said.
To reach their championship goals, Baker believes commitment will be the deciding factor.
“Commitment’s the biggest thing,” Baker said. “If we don’t have the commitment and people aren’t bought in, then you’re not going to achieve things.”
Baker enters the season with a strong track record, bringing more than 20 years of club coaching experience and leading Calvert to a state championship in 2019.
With experienced players returning, a strong team culture, and championship aspirations, the Lady Cavaliers believe they have the foundation to make a deep postseason run.
“I think this is a really good team,” Eggleton said. “I’m super excited for this season. I think we are such great players, and I think that it’s going to go really well.”
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