A solid core of returning seniors and a new coach hope to guide the Mount Si boys’ soccer team to new heights this season.

Tom Bialek takes the reins of the team from Bruce Caldwell who led the Wildcats for 14 years. Bialek’s first duty will be emphasizing team play this season.

“[I’m] looking for guys that want to give everything they got, and [are going] to put the team in front of themselves,” said Bialek. “All they can do is their best. If they work hard and they work together, you know, [we’ll] play the game and see what happens.”

Bialek was drawn to the Mount Si job largely because of the school’s association with the Kingco 3A conference.

“Well, they needed a coach and I wanted to coach high-school soccer,” said Bialek. “I grew up in Bellevue and wanted to coach in the Kingco league, and this is an opportunity in the Kingco league, and so, I just decided to explore it.”

Bialek is no stranger to the soccer field. Last year he served as an assistant coach for the Bellevue Community College team. Prior to that duty, Bialek spent seven seasons playing professional soccer, earning tittles in 1996 and 1997 with the Seattle Sounders of the outdoor A-league, and a title with the now defunct Seattle SeaDogs in 1997. He played collegiate soccer at the University of Washington and spent 5 years coaching Liberty High School.

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