Sean C. Morgan
Sweet Home’s girls soccer team is loaded with experience this year after graduating just two seniors last year.
Nine seniors are in the varsity lineup: Katie Virtue, Haley Kent, Courtney Kent, Mikaela Steiner, Lacey Carranza, Jessie Hoover, Katy Currey, Natalie Currey and Auna Davis, all of whom are back with high school experience.
“Pretty much everybody that’s here is returning,” said Coach Ramiro Santana. “Last year, we were all new kids. We didn’t have lots of experience. My expectations are pretty good – we will be a pretty competitive team. We might be the surprise of the league.”
They’ve all got the enthusiasm they need to play, and they’re dedicated, smart athletes, Santana said. “This is a different group than I’ve ever had. They’re quiet, but they’re really dedicated to the sport.”
They’re small, but the Huskies may have a lot of speed available this year, Santana said. The team is quicker, and it will probably pass more. On the field, they’re more vocal and communicate well.
“They’ve got good shooting skills,” Santana said. About six of them have strong feet and can shoot from anywhere around the goal.
“As goalie, we’ve got Haley Kent,” Santana said. She’s probably the best goalie he’s had since he started coaching the Huskies, “but the part I don’t like is she is fastest.”
He would like to use her up the field too, and depending on the situation, Natalie Currey will play at the goal to free up Kent to the offense.
Kent is the fastest girl at Sweet Home High School, Santana said. To use that, he has to take some chances, and “there’s probably times I’m going to take that chance. I always believe in playing more offense than defense.”
Courtney Kent is a strong defender, as is sophomore Allison Wickline and two new players, Caroline Huss, a junior, and Carranza, who will provide a “very, very strong” defense. Davis and Katy Currey can play defense too.
The Currey twins will run each side of midfield, Santana said. Davis moves from defense last year to center mid. Sophomores Ashley Wickline, McKenzie Virtue and Maddee Hawken are also candidates for center mid.
Katie Virtue moves from center to left forward. McKenzie Virtue and Hawken can play forward too.
Positions will not be settled before the season starts, Santana said. “I will not know probably the first two games.”
That period is a little shorter than usual. Santana likes to try different things early in the season.
“I feel more confident with this group,” he said. “Most of them can play any position.”
If the team needs a boost on defense, he can move Katie Virtue or the Curreys back, for example, he said. “There will be a lot of rotation in the games too.”
The team is flexible and can respond easily to different teams and game situations.
In the league, everyone is looking at Cottage Grove, Santana said. “Cottage Grove’s got everything.”
Add Junction City and Sisters to the mix, and “those are the teams we want to beat,” Santana said. “We’ve got to play with the challenge and give them heck.”
The Huskies finished the season one game from playoffs after a loss to Elmira, Santana said. He thinks they’ll do better this year.
“It’ll be nice to see this group now that they’ve matured a little more,” Santana said. “They’ll be fun to watch.”
Maybe he expects too much, he said, but what he sees so far, he likes.
“You can’t beat speed,” he said. “You can’t coach speed – I think we’ve got better speed than in the past.”
“We’ve got long-range kids that can shoot good, anywhere from the goal area.”
Four can shoot with either foot, including Katie and McKenzie Virtue, Hawken and Davis, Santana said. “It’ll be fun. I hope people come watch us, cheer us up. It’s a fun group to see.”
The varsity team includes the seniors, juniors Phoebe Olson and Caroline Huss; sophomores Maddee Hawken, Ashley Wickline and Allison Wickline;
The junior varsity includes junior Brenna Boccardo; sophomores Sarah Dunkley, Lilly Parker and Amber Doles; and freshmen Kaylee Lewis, Kristen Adams, Hannah Jewett, Chloe Newport and Kenzi Adams.