Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
After several years of tough times, the girls soccer team is poised to compete well this year and even better next year with a roster of 15 returning players, only three of whom are seniors.
In addition to the seniors, Kathy Wilson, Leanna Blankenship and Faith Helfrich, the team returns eight juniors, including Brianna Wirth, Rochelle Zamacona, Jessica Snow, Alex Hawk, Alex Hawk, Kelsi Walker, Sarah Nelson, Julie Bosso and Ruth Hernandez, and four sophomores, including Shelbey Gillespie, Kaitlin Keenon, Erin Rose and Jazmine Morris.
They are joined by sophomore Mandy Binks and freshmen Christina Ulmer, Kristen Tolle, Megan Rubidoux, Hanna Currey, Rylee Links, Jessika Stewart and Jasmine Yoder.
“It’s just totally the opposite of what we had last year,” Coach Ramiro Santana said. The team has a year’s experience under its collective belt, and Santana has gotten used to coaching girls.
This is his first girls’ team, he said. In the past, he coached coed Boys and Girls Club teams, but coaching girls’ varsity at the high school level is different.
He had to learn how to coach them, and they had to work on the fundamentals and improvement.
They’ve done that, he said. This team is considerably further ahead of where it was at the beginning of the season last year.
“This year, I don’t have to go back to that (the fundamentals),” he said. The team can build on what it’s done. The girls have bonded and learned to work together. They understand the game. Their passing has improved. Their shooting has improved. The freshmen are adapting into the team.
They want to practice, he said. They have consistently worked out over the summer, and “our conditioning is twice as good as last year,” he said. The team is well-developed.
Last year, they didn’t win a game, Santana said. “I do expect to win games this year.”
The team is small, with only two girls of any substantial height, he said, but “we are very fast. We can use the quickness and the passing; and our defense will be strong.”
The Huskies struggled at goal last year, but this year, Santana has five players ready to fill the goalie’s role and do it well. He coaches his girls to play all positions, and they will rotate through the position as well as playing the field.
Among goalies will be Hawk, Tolle, Rubidoux, Keenon and Wilson.
Snow and Nelson will lead the Husky attack at forward, while midfielder Zamacona will be everywhere, Santana said. He expects a number of goals out of Zamazona this year.
Gillespie will help strengthen the midfield, while Keenon is a strong, quick defender. Bosso and Wilson will bolster the defensive end of the field as well.
Tolle, Rubidoux and Links are amazing players for freshmen, Santana said, and they can play pretty much anywhere.
The team, every member, has talent all through it, Santana said. Binks is the only girl who has never played soccer, and he coached many of the girls at the Boys and Girls Club level.
And with so many girls on the team, it won’t face one of its biggest problems over the years – no substitutes to keep the girls fresh and ready to play.
The league is tough, primarily Christian schools that put together powerful programs, he said. They include Santiam Christian, Westside Christian, Western Mennonite, Horizon Christian, Riverdale, Blanchett, Gervais and Philomath.
They’re very competitive in soccer, he said. “They will give us a heck of a time.
League play would be a different story in a regular league, like the Capital Conference or Val-Co, he said. Still, last year, he thought the Huskies’ losses would be worse.
Losses tended to be in the 5-3 and 5-2 range, he said. “I think we will be more competitive this year. There’s no doubt about that.”
The Huskies are much more accurate and aggressive about shooting, he said.
“Accuracy has improved. Passes are better. Everything is much better.”