Sean C. Morgan
Sweet Home’s girls soccer team lost some significant players to graduation last year, but Coach Ramiro Santana welcomes back nearly a dozen returnees from last season and have a big influx of freshmen.
With more speed than usual, the team is also experienced and versatile.
Santana said he has more flexibility than usual as he starts sorting out how to arrange his team on the field.
“We’ve got experience,” he said. “We have four players that have been there for four years.”
Those players are seniors Cora McKee, Kendyl Stutzman, Jessilynn Thomas and Milah Weld. They cover the field with their experience, McKee and Weld at forward, Thomas at mid and Stutzman on defense, and McKee can play anywhere on the field.
Other returning seniors are Elizabeth Chelstad, Bethany Gin-gerich and Hannah Ramsey. Seniors joining this year are Rachel Busek, a transfer from East Linn Christian Academy who will swing to junior varsity, Hikari Kawai, and Katelynn Towry, who moved to Sweet Home from Washington.
Returning juniors are Sydney Mauer, Ashley Farthing, Kendal Soland and Madelyn Neuschwander. They are joined by Kate Hawken, who will be a swing player.
Torree Hawken returns as a sophomore and will be a swing player. Moira Curtis, a sophomore, will swing as a goalie.
Incoming freshmen are Jenae Ashton, Emily Farthing, Kailey James, Olivia Martineau, Si-cily Neuschwander, Esther Ramsey, Katie Robeck, Maren Weld, Alexis Yoder and Natalie Rodgers. Rodgers and Ramsey will both be swing players.
He has good participation numbers, Santana said, but he could use another three or four players “to put the team in a better place.”
Jeff Parker returns to coach JV after taking a year off from coaching soccer.
Graduating last year were Kenzi Adams, Kaylee Lewis, Hannah Jewett, Chloe Newport, McKenzie Yoder and Chelsea Nicholson.
The team also lost incoming senior keeper Hailey Nicholson to an injury, which will keep her off the field for the season.
“We’ll miss her,” Santana said.
Curtis has experience and will probably start at goalie, Santana said. Rodgers also will spend time in the box, although the varsity level may be a little rough on her.
Coming onto the team, Busek brings cross-country and track experience and, with Kate Hawken, brings more speed to the team.
Another runner from track, Gingerich will be a forward. She joined the team last year.
“She loved it,” Santana said. “She’s very good. She’s one of the fastest girls in the state.”
Altogether, he has speed in both Hawken girls, McKee, Weld, Gingerich and Busek, which will allow Santana to fill out his forward attack and potentially keep speed back on defense as well as needed. Weld, Kate Hawken and Busek can all play defense well.
With many options, Santana still has to work out his personnel puzzle, he said. “I have not had the speed for a long time. This makes it more interesting for me.”
Ashley Farthing has stepped up her midfield game, Santana said. Along with Thomas, he expects to see Madelyn Neuschwander and Kawai in midfield.
Kawai is quick too, Santana said and she’s a good passer.
Chelstad brings power and can kick the ball, Santana said. She’s a lefty and will play left midfield and forward.
Stutzman will be the sweeper on defense, with Hannah Ramsey and Mauer rounding out the defense, and will see time at midfield.
During the first five games, Santana will experiment with different combinations before settling on the line for league games.
“I’m excited to be in this situation,” Santana said. “In the last five years, I haven’t had this.”
The Huskies finished fourth in the league behind Elmira last year. The two teams were tied for third place with 5-5 league records and split their games. They each had 8-6-1 records overall. In a league tiebreaker, Elmira defeated the Huskies 3-1 to end the season.
This year, Cottage Grove is getting stronger, Santana said. Elmira has become “very competitive with the big teams.”
Sutherlin finished second last year and was ranked 11th in the state, while Junction City was ranked 10th and finished as league champion.
Santana expects both to be tough this year.
He expects Sisters to be tough too. The Huskies split wins with Sisters last year for the first time.
“We are in a tough league,” Santana said, but his team has talent.
“I believe in these kids,” Santana said. “In practice, they look good. They practice hard. I couldn’t be any happier.”
He expects them to do well, and he is hoping that they do as well as he expects, he said. They have “good heads. They’re fighters.”