Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
An infusion of experienced freshmen will round out the Husky girls soccer team this year and Coach Eric Markell is expecting improvement over last year?s single-win season.
The program, which fielded enough players for a single team and few if any subs in games last year, has more than 20 girls out.
?Normally, not enough people is our problem,? Markell said. ?Hopefully, we can play every game and have a full team.?
The team returns sophomores Larissa Bjornsen, Jordane Greene and Michelle Buhn; juniors Stefani Crocker, Becky Sanchez, Jill Wilson, Amber Erickson and Michelle Aerni; and seniors Bethan Emmerty, Sarah Winslow and Kierya Shreves.
Newcomers include freshmen Kendra Bishop, Leanna Blankenship, Faith Helfrich and Jenny Hamn; sophomore Megan Moser; juniors Cassie Conrad and Samantha Looney; and senior Kathy Wilson. Josalyn Kittson also joins the team this year.
The team returns a core of experienced players, Markell said. Joining them are freshmen who are all experienced soccer players, and ?some of our better players might be the freshmen.?
?We?re way ahead of where we were last year at the end of the season,? Markell said. Without any players graduating last year, the team is able to pick up where it left off.
?I think it?s going to be good. I think there?s more incentive for them to put in more work in practice.?
The rules say the team can only dress down 18 players for a game, Markell said. That means players will be competing for those spots throughout the season.
The team will play a varsity schedule this year, Markell said. The Huskies played a varsity schedule last year, but it included a junior varsity game. They will play a similar schedule this year, although the season will be short at just 10 games.
?We?re very excited to play Lebanon,? Markell said. Their first game is against Lebanon on Sept. 12. Before that is a league jamboree where teams will face each other in half games.
Sisters, along with private schools Blanchet and West Mennonite, will be good, Markell predicted. The league will probably shape up much like last year. ?I think we can give Stayton a run for their money,? and the team has its sights set on Gervais.
?Stayton and Gervais will be probably our best games, and I think Lebanon will probably be a good game,? Markell said.
The team?s one win last year was a junior varsity game against South Salem.
Markell is hoping Winslow?s health is at 100 percent through the season, he said. She is among the team?s leaders. Based on what he?s seen in practice, he expects good performance from Crocker and Blankenship.
Field positions are not set yet and will be subject to change as the season starts based on performance in scrimmages and games, Markell said. Jill Wilson will be in goal. She started in that position last year, succeeding Rachel Gaskey. By the end of the season, she picked up the position well. Wilson will be backed by Hamn.
Overall, the team has a little more size and height than last year, and the Huskies are experienced across the board, Markell said. When he took over the program some five years ago, he had only a core group with experience.
?It?ll be nice to get a few games out of the way and see what?s going on,? Markell said.
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Sweet Home High School Girls Soccer Schedule 2005
Date Opponent Site Time
9/10 Cascade Jamboree Away 9 a.m.
9/12 Lebanon Home 4:30 p.m.
9/19 Yamhill-Carlton Home 4 p.m.
9/29 North Marion Away 4:30 p.m.
10/3 Molalla Home 5 p.m.
10/5 Sisters Home 4:30 p.m.
10/10 Gervais Home 4:30 p.m.
10/13 Blanchet Away 4:30 p.m.
10/17 W. Mennonite Home 4:30 p.m.
10/20 Stayton Away 3 p.m.
10/24 Cascade Away 4:30 p.m.