LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield High School girls soccer team has won two state championships (2003, 2004) under Mark Vermont, last year’s Cape Ann League Kinney Division Coach of the Year.

But it’s been 22 years since the Pioneers hoisted the championship banner. With a dynamic group of returning players and an explosive offense, there are high hopes that this will be the year the Pioneers finally get back into the winner’s circle.

Last year, the Pioneers finished the regular season 13-2-3, earning a share of the CAL Kinney Division title with long-time foe Newburyport. The No. 6 seed in the Div. 3 state tournament, the Pioneers knocked off No. 27 Old Rochester, 5-0, in the Round of 32, only to be eliminated in the Round of 16 by No. 11 Auburn, 3-2.

The good news this year begins with the return of eight starters, four of whom were first-team CAL All-Stars. That group is led by senior captains Giada Antidormi, Kaylee Barrett, Jordan Calichman, and Ava Damiani.

“I call them the four horsemen and they are going to be great,” Vermont said. “They are definitely leading the way.”

Bentley-bound Antidormi, a four-year starter, is the reigning CAL Co-Player of the Year. An Eastern Massachusetts First Team All-Star, Antidormi was also selected to the Massachusetts All-State and Daily Item All-Star teams. The center midfielder scored 13 goals, notched 16 assists, and received the team’s Most Valuable Player award.

Antidormi believes the strength of the team is its willingness to put team first.

“Our biggest strength is that none of us are doing this for our own personal stats or anything like that,” Antidormi said. “We’re very cohesive and we are all about winning, and also having fun. That makes us really dangerous as there are a lot of us who can score and a lot of us who can make good plays at any moment.”

Damiani is also a four-year starter. She was named to the First Team Eastern Massachusetts and Daily Item All-Star teams. A striker, she led the Pioneers in scoring with 21 goals and 16 assists. The speedster had a game to remember last September, scoring four goals in the Pioneers’ 5-0 rout against traditional archrival North Reading.

She has been very pleased with attendance and effort at summer league and captains’ practices.

“We do a very good job at making sure everyone is ready for the season, including new incoming players,” Damiani said. “Everyone is at every captains’ practice and every summer league game with 30 girls at every game, so everyone coming in is nice and strong.”

Barrett, a Colby College commit and four-year starter, was named to the Eastern Massachusetts Second Team and Daily Item All-Star team. The speedy outside midfielder scored at least one point in 14 of the Pioneers’ 20 games, finishing last season with 15 goals, 15 assists, and a pair of hat tricks.

“We have very good chemistry,” Barrett said. “We’ve been playing together for so long over the years since we were in youth soccer. I think everyone’s gotten to know each other really well, so everyone knows exactly where to play each other and where everyone is going to be.”

Calichman, a center back, is expected to anchor a backfield that held opponents to one goal or less in 16 of 20 games last year. She will be joined by returning seniors Sarah Mitchell, Adriana Regitano, and Sofia Giardina.

Calichman likes how the defense is shaping up.

“All four back-line players are coming back, so I think we will be very strong again,” she said. “We cover each other very well and we communicate well.”

Hannah Doherty returns for another year as a starting midfielder. Other returners competing for starting positions include juniors Ava Ragusa, Gianna Veiga, Abby Tsatski, goalkeeper Sabrina Hayman, as well as sophomores Ella Pascucci and Bella Clancy.

The Pioneers will tune up for the regular season with a multiple-team jamboree on Aug. 29 and home scrimmages against Danvers (Sept. 2) and Marblehead (Sept. 4). They are also scheduled to play non-league games against Danvers and Marblehead during the regular season.

The quest for a third state championship begins Sept. 8 against Newburyport at Newburyport Stadium. The Pioneers and Clippers split their two-game series last year.

Antidormi said the Pioneers will be ready.

“When we play on their field and we are ready and locked in at that first game of the season, I think it’s going to turn out really well,” she said. “All of our energy is going to be super high because we know this is our last time as seniors, so we are all going to go out super high.”

The Pioneers close out the regular season Oct. 29 with a road tilt against Pentucket.