Sean C. Morgan
With nearly their entire roster back from last season, the girls varsity soccer team returns with experience across the board as they open their season Wednesday, Sept. 2, at home.
The team graduated Lily Barton and Aspen Szubart, but returns key players across the field.
The Wickline twins return, with Allison continuing her duties on defense and Ashley working the offense at forward or in midfield as needed.
“They’re seniors this year,” said Coach Ramiro Santana. “Both are strong players and pretty much, they can play every position on the field.”
Senior Sarah Dunkley, a returning starter, is small, but she’s a key on defense, Santana said. Returning junior Chloe Newport and sophomore Kendyl Stutzman will round out the defensive unit, with Stutzman moving up to the middle as needed.
Maddee Hawken, a returning senior, will play center mid, sometimes splitting that duty with Ashley Wickline, while returning sophomores Cora McKee and Milah Weld, a starter last year, will play forward.
Both scored several goals last year as fast freshmen, Santana said.
Returning junior Kenzi Adams will round out the midfield.
Hailey Nicholson, a junior, will reprise her role as goalie. She will be backed by returning junior Kaylee Lewis. In a pinch Allison Wickline can play goalkeeper.
Additional varsity players include junior Mailei Kanui, sophomore Elizabeth Chelstad, freshman Madelyn Neuschwander, junior McKenzie Yoder, junior Chelsea Nicholson, junior Hannah Jewett, senior Lilly Parker, senior Mikkala Weld, freshman Ashley Farthing, Senior Amber Doles and senior Makenna Ashton.
The junior varsity may include junior Tori Jackson, sophomore Jacquelyn Chelstad, Morgan Henderson, Lewis, Sydney Mauer, Mikkala Weld, Kanui, Yoder, Chelsea Nicholson, Farthing, freshman Julia Miller, Neuschwander and Elizabeth Chelstad.
Losing just two players from last year, Santana has a better idea than usual how the lineup will work, he said, but it’s still a bit of a puzzle and could change a little early on in the season.
“This year, we’re set,” he said. “We’re ready to go.”
Now he’ll be looking for ways to arrange the team for stronger defense and more aggressive offense as needed, he said. He can keep his defense strong while moving players into different spots to adapt to different situations.
It’s a stronger team than last year, he said. Many of the Huskies ran track last spring, and it’s helped with speed and footwork.
Last year, the Huskies finished the league season 2-8, losing a game 2-1 to Elmira to prevent a playoff appearance.
“It was a great year for the group we had,” he said. It gave this year’s team more experience.
“I can tell you, I’m still nervous,” he said. “But I’m more relaxed – somewhat. I’m excited. I think we’ll have a team that will be fun to watch.”
Around the league, “Sisters is a strong team always,” Santana said. They had quite a few 6-footers last year. “I don’t know what they feed them.
“They will be strong.”
Cottage Grove and Junction City are perennially strong, like Sisters, in communities with strong soccer programs at all levels, he said, and Elmira was pretty strong.
Elmira and Sisters lost quite a few seniors.
Santana thinks his team can be in the hunt for a playoff game if the Huskies can get a win against Cottage Grove or Junction City, he said. “I’m thinking we should be able to get close to playoffs. We’re looking strong, but it’s really hard to say because you still haven’t seen the other teams. I think we’ll be more challenging.”
The girls were last year, with quite a few close games, he said, and they’ll be even more so this year.
With the new soccer field and evening games, Santana said the games should be a lot of fun and invites everyone to come and watch games on Husky Field. Whether Wednesday’s game will be played on the new artificial turf will be dependent on the weather, as the new track is being finished this week and rain has delayed progress. If the game is not in Husky Stadium, it will be played on the “regular” soccer field.