Most of the core is back for the Mount Si girls soccer team. Now, this group faces the challenge of a new league with bigger schools as competition.
“We’re playing tougher teams,” said senior forward and co-captain Karli White. “We want to get a good record and start off strong.”
The goal, for senior midfielder Zoe Virta, is “going out in 4A and making this pilot year something that can leave a good legacy.”
White is in her second season as a Wildcat; She came up the Valley from Cedarcrest as a junior. She joins seniors KK Wallace and Claire Johnson as captains. Those three, with Virta and senior midfielder Karlie Hurley, will set the cultural tone for this team, according to coach Darren Brown.
Defenders Johnson and junior Camryn Buck are the power players on the Wildcat backline, but Brown looks to deploy some secret weapons: sophomore Bella DiDomenico, junior Kelsey Willard and senior Malia Barrett. DiDomenico, Barrett, and Mackenzie Hutchison are three newcomers to varsity this season, but Brown expects major roles.
“They are all fierce competitors and have really fit into our system nicely,” he said.
“Kingco 4A is the toughest conference in the state,” says Brown. “It really is not even open to debate. Any team can win on any given night, and it really comes down to effort and team chemistry.”
He likes what he sees so far: “We are much farther along” now, compared to a year ago. “We had a lot of girls take this summer very seriously, so we are that much more ahead.”
As forward, White scored in the double digits last year. Already signed to the University of Arkansas, she’s in the hunt to be Mount Si’s leading scorer, but she isn’t a selfish player: “If I have an opportunity, I’ll take it myself. But if there’s an open pass, I’ll pass. I’m going to do whatever’s going to benefit my team, because I want to win.” Asked what her strength is, “I think I work really hard,” she said. “My mentality is, when you’re tired, you work even harder. You leave it all out on the field.”
“It’s like chess, running chess,” said Virta. Describing her role, “If you’re strong in the middle, you win the middle; you get passes around, keep possession going. You set the pace. It’s a really big job.”
Already for 2014, these girls see strong bonds and communication on the field.
“It’s a good team this year,” Virta said.
“We were on the same team when we were 10,” said Virta. “When you’re a kid and have so much energy. You’re running around, and your mom pout it into something structured.
I was naturally pretty good at it from a young age. And it became something I focused on.”
“You just kind of fall in love with it,” added White.
Mount Si girls soccer schedule 2014
Thursday, Sept. 11
• Mount Si at Kamiak, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 13
• Mount Si at Juanita, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 16
• Mount Si hosts Glacier Peak, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 18
• Mount Si at Skyline, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 23
• Mount Si hosts Redmond, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 30
• Mount Si hosts Skyline, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 2
• Mount Si at Newport, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 7
• Mount Si hosts Redmond, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 9
• Mount Si at Woodinville, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 14
• Mount Si hosts Bothell, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 16
• Mount Si at Inglemoor, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 21
• Mount Si hosts Issaquah, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 23
• Mount Si at Eastlake, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 27
• KingCo championships begin, TBD.
