By Tyler F. Thompson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Camdenton Lady Lakers soccer head coach Josh Baldwin enters his second season with the program.
Last year, the team went 4-18, but with two returning seniors in Dexely Atilano (MF) and Dorothy Krulatz (DF), two returning lettermen in junior goalkeeper Bella Faes (GK) and junior midfielder Sophie Radlund, the team looks to make a splash in districts for the first time since 2021, the last time they took home district hardware.
“The big step for Bella this spring is just continuing to settle into the natural leadership role that comes with being a goalkeeper. She continues to get better and better at using her voice to direct traffic out of the back, and my goal is for her to really take charge and start to control the tempo of the game as we need it,” Baldwin said.
With only two returning seniors, leadership will take on a new voice this season.
“I couldn’t ask for two better leaders for my seniors this year. Dorothy only just started playing last season but has progressed so much, and she fits our culture so well. She takes care of the team incredibly well,” Baldwin said. “Dexely is more on the quiet side, but she always leads by example and works as hard as anyone on the team when she’s in. She’ll make runs, track back defensively, and get physical on defense. She’s the epitome of a quiet, lead-by-example kind of leader.”
The Lakers have a nice luxury this season with the core as well as seven returning starters.
Starters include Faes, Radlund, Atilano, Brookelyn Meents (junior FW; five goals in one game in ’25), Lily Roberts (junior MF), Macy Mellencamp (sophomore DF) and Krulatz.
“Brookelyn really started to step into a goal scoring, finishing role for us practically out of nowhere towards the end of last season. We will really be hoping she can continue to fill that role for us going into the spring season,” Baldwin said.
Last year’s trials are paying dividends so far in 2026.
“We graduated eight from last year, but this younger group that is coming up, has bought in and have put in a lot of extra work this offseason. A lot more than they normally do, so I am really excited to see how we do with a year’s worth of work under our belts,” Baldwin said.
Over the winter program, 20 to 22 players took part — roughly a 40 percent increase from previous years.
“The culture is the healthiest is has probably been [since] 2021,” Baldwin said. “It is already a win in my book, and we haven’t even played a game. We had 22 girls travel to play in Springfield in the fall, which has never happened before. They played up in Jefferson City on their own, parents stepping up. Players getting together and really buying in, trying to push this program to a new level.”
Camdenton does not currently have a club team.
“They are really kind of taking it upon themselves to start something of a club. Numbers have been healthy for the winter window. We averaged about 20. Before, it eight to 10,” Baldwin said.
The jamboree is scheduled for March 16 at Waynesville, and will include Waynesville, Camdenton, Dixon and Rolla.
“I kind of use it as a general measuring point,” Baldwin said of the jamboree, which features the same lineup as last year.
The season opener is scheduled for March 20 at Capital City.
The home opener is March 23 against Waynesville.
