Deer Park, Riverside On Their Own In New 2a League

Great Northern League soccer is more than a mere realignment of schools. It’s a whole new ball game.

Two schools, including Lakeside High, are new to the sport. Two others, Riverside and Deer Park, have ended their merger and formed independent teams.

“It’s a totally different league,” said Deer Park coach Lisa Collins. “I guess I just think it’s so different because this team is night and day.”

Collins last year coached the regular-season Frontier League champions. When the two schools split, she lost everyone to Riverside.

“I’ve seen it when the varsity was half and half,” said Collins. “It’s been the last two or three years when Riverside became more dominant.”

So a year after winning league, Collins is starting over. Kevin Moon, who coached the boys team last spring, has inherited the wealth.

“Except for graduating seniors, I got every one of the starters,” said Moon. “They are fantastic.”

Impact veterans include Bernice Stime, Brooke Dornquast, Tracy Koesel, Jamie Rizzuto, Jami Baker, Larissa Mueller and Lauri Faraschuck. Cassidee Hall is also back. After two years away because of a knee injury, freshman Amber Dornquast will help the team chase former Frontier League opponents Pullman, Colville and Medical Lake for the league title.

None provided much of a challenge in years past.

“With our skill level,” said Moon, “not to sound cocky, I’m confident we’ll do very well in this league.”

Riverside notwithstanding, the other North Side schools like the realignment. Current entrants are of similar talent, making it easier for Collins to start over and Lakeside coach Joel Lewinsohn to begin anew.

“I assisted at Colville when they started, so this is the second team I’ve helped start,” he said. “I’ve kinda been through the ropes.”

Said Collins: “Riverside will be hard to beat, but we can pretty much keep up with all the other teams. I’m glad we made the move.” Riverside’s Moon said he misses the rivalries that formed among Frontier schools West Valley, East Valley, Cheney and his Rams.

“I can’t argue that the road is (now) a little easier to travel,” he said. “If we get to state, it could present a problem.”

He does think, however, that Riverside’s talented athletes are up to the challenge.

“I could not have asked for a better group of girls,” he said. “For five years I assisted at Whitworth and it was nationally ranked. I’m not sorry at all I left.”

Deer Park has but three players from last year’s league champions. None started and swung between junior varsity and varsity teams.

They include Abbie Langbehn, Lisa Pansie and Amanda Plummer, who moves to the field from goalie.

“I think I’m just fortunate players came out who never played but are very athletic,” said Collins.

One, Rayna Scott, is in goal. Another, Desirae McCoullough, has switched from volleyball. Annika Herbes, said Collins, is doing a fine job at sweeper. Freshmen Angela Smith and Jill Watts are the program’s future.

“This year we’re pretty much trying to learn the language, doing just the basics,” said Collins.

The same holds true at Lakeside, which earlier tied Deer Park, 2-2.

Parents pushed for the program, which the school board hesitantly approved during the middle of summer. Lewinsohn said uniforms were being purchased a week before turnout.

“We started with 15 players right off the bat, 80 percent who have never played before,” he said.

Julia Vojtech, Caryn Grubbs and Ericka Oscarson were among the most experienced.

, DataTimes