Whitehall head girls' soccer coach George Romano knew this would different season. For the most part, it has for the veteran head coach and his players.

Yet, there have been lingering signs of a new culture that was established by Romano that eventually led his program to the state title game two seasons ago.

This year, the Zephyrs began with a new tweed of fabric woven from the same cloth from two seasons ago. Gone was a core of the nucleus that was a state runner-up team, but a smaller unit of veterans returned to help extend the existing foundation.

The one-goal games the Zephyrs won within the last two seasons recently have slipped from their grasp, but Romano isn't worried despite an uncharacteristic 7-6 record entering this week.

"We knew this would likely happen," said Romano. "We did lose a good group of girls, but we had some returning and some strong younger players who could help us. It will be a transition in some ways for us, but we are still respected by teams out there.

"Wherever we play, teams know they will be in for a good game with us. We're confident we'll be back in the district playoffs and we just wanted to continue building on the legacy we started here. I told the girls to work on establishing their legacy."

Kourtney Cunningham, whose sister Kayla left last season as the top goal scorer in the Lehigh Valley, has been pacing the Zephyrs in goals as she had 27 to begin the week. Jude Luckenbill, who was a mainstay in the nets last season, had 58 saves through the first 14 games.

Despite a rollercoaster-type season, Romano has enjoyed some highlights this season. He noted a 3-1 victory over Emmaus that proved to be more than a moral victory.

"Beating Emmaus was a big victory for us, like a playoff game," said Romano. "We played teams like Stroudsburg well, but we couldn't score (a 1-0 loss). The same could be said for our games against Easton (a 4-2 loss) and (Allentown) Central Catholic (3-2 loss).

"We have been there in every game expect for Nazareth (4-0 loss) and Parkland (5-1 loss). We have played well and come up short. I always tell them the saying that if you play well enough and lose, you shouldn't cry, and if you didn't, you should cry. Well, we cried against Nazareth and Parkland.

"In our other losses, we didn't have to. We have had our share of moral victories and that's fine, too."

Whether or not the Zephyrs make the postseason, Romano is ready to take the next step. He has been pleased with the development of his players from the Tri-Boro soccer club, and he will only lose two senior starters this season.

"We have set the groundwork here and established ourselves," he noted. "We do have some young players who can help us and we'll see how this season plays itself out."