After a series of departures, the girls soccer team has a full roster of 11 players and that’s it.
The depleted roster took its toll last Thursday and Monday in losses to Central, 4-0, and to Santiam Christian 6-1.
Against Santiam Christian, the Huskies’ bus was late and they made it to the field seven minutes before game time, Coach Eric Markell said.
“It took us a whole half to get moving,” he said.
Santiam Christian scored five goals before halftime, when the Huskies had to go down to 10 players when Brianna Wirth got hurt.
“Larissa Bjornsen played today,” he said after the game. “She probably shouldn’t have, but she wanted to. Unfortunately, we just don’t have anybody to fill their spot when they’re not there.”
Despite being a player down, the Huskies scored on a shot by Bjornsen midway through the second half and held Santiam Christian to one goal in the half.
“It was like night and day,” Markell said, noting goalkeeper Jill Wilson’s effort in front of the net and contributions from Alex Hawk and Rochelle Zamacona in the field during the second half.
At Central on Sept. 21, the Huskies played the second half with only 10 players after Wirth injured herself and had to sit out, coach Eric Markell said. But the Central coach matched them, fielding only 10 players, though he was able to substitute from his reserves.
“That was probably the best sportsmanship we’ve seen this season,” an appreciative Markell said of the Panthers.
“We played decently, but not great,” he said of the game. “Hopefully we will be back at full strength