Are you ready for some soccer?

There’s plenty to like about Inland Empire League soccer.

Sandpoint’s girls and boys seemingly are in the mix for state titles every year, and Coeur d’Alene’s girls and boys have had plenty of state success the past two years.

And Lake City’s boys and girls are among the league’s elite.

With that in mind, here’s a look at those teams as the season begins.

Coeur d’Alene

The Vikings girls, the defending league champs, captured a 5A state title two years ago and took third last year. They’ll be in the hunt for another state trophy this fall.

CdA (15-6-1 overall, 10-2-0 league) returns 14 lettermen, including seven starters. Among the Viks’ top players are seniors Sadie Simon (forward), Sarah Bjorn (f/midfielder), Kelsey McIntire (mf), Jessica Duran (defender), Jill Meredith (mf), Katrina Beuchler (f/mf) and junior utility player Meghan Roletto.

Simon was the league’s offensive player of the year last fall. Roletto was a first-team all-league pick.

The two leading scorers off a 17-0 junior varsity team step up to varsity.

“With 14 returning lettermen, we didn’t have a lot of open spots on the varsity,” said fifth-year CdA assistant coach Ben Jones, who has overseen most of the preseason practices after head coach Tarragh Carr had her first child earlier this month.

“It’s a good thing and a bad thing all in one,” Jones said of the Viks’ experience. “We’re very solid one through 18, so it’s going to be tough to pick a starting lineup. We may have one of those years where we have a continual different look every match. That makes it hard to keep everybody happy.”

Winning, though, should help to that end.

CdA and Sandpoint should wage a tug of war for the league title.

The CdA boys (17-1-3, 9-0-3) went undefeated in league, but finished second to Sandpoint. That’s because Sandpoint had one more win and two fewer ties.

The Viks, who took third at state last year, have much work ahead if they hope to stay at the level they ended the season at last fall. They charged through the regular season undefeated before falling in the state semifinals.

Coach Eric Louis said goodbye to 10 seniors, seven of whom were starters. But he’s more than pleased with the players who are poised to step up this year.

“They’re a skilled group,” Louis said of his four returning starters and three other lettermen. “The seniors we have this year are providing good leadership. They’ve known what they’re going to be working with for a while. They know each other well.”

Heading the group are seniors Robby Astin (mf) and Austin Green (mf), juniors Jordon Eborall (f/def), Forest Walker (f) and Casey Shellman (def), and sophomores Drew Morgan (mf) and Jimmy Keith (goalkeeper).

The biggest question mark facing CdA is defense. Louis must replace all three defenders and a goalie.

“How do you do that?” Louis asked rhetorically. “You shift your focus. We build from the same commitment, bravery and hard work that the defenders had last year. The guys we’re replacing them with aren’t new to their roles, they’re just new to their roles at Coeur d’Alene.”

Lake City

For the second straight preseason, Timberwolves boys coach Chad Beadell has had to back off the practice intensity because of injuries.

“Most of our practices have been with nine to 12 players,” Beadell said. “We’ll get all the injuries out of the way and hopefully we won’t have any more.”

At least no more of the season-ending variety. LC could play without two returning starters, and a third could miss most of the season.

Still, LC returns 15 lettermen including seven starters. Among the T-Wolves’ top players are seniors Nick Lenihan (mf), Josh Gordon (def), Tyler Powers (def), Jason Wheelock (mf), Kurt Meyer (mf) and Matt Burns (def), and sophomore Chris Wheelock (def).

“The nice part is we have so many seniors who have played club together,” Beadell said. “We have good chemistry. Their work ethic has been phenomenal. This team has a lot of potential and a lot of versatility. We’re going to get some good minutes out of everyone.”

LC’s girls don’t return as much experience as the boys, but it should be enough to challenge CdA and Sandpoint.

The T-Wolves, who had the stingiest defense in the league last year, return that core intact, led by senior Shannon Fraser, the league’s goalie of the year last season.

Other top players include seniors Catherine Cramer (mf), Sarah Behm (mf) and Melissa Fee (mf), juniors Nicole Medeiros (def), Marlee Elmer (f) and Nicole Danner (mf).

LC lost a state-qualifying match to Sandpoint last year when the T-Wolves were victims of an own goal.

What coach Matt Ruchti must find are some consistent scorers. Ciara Kremer, the IEL’s player of the year last fall, has moved on to the University of Montana.

“We’re not going to have that one player who will score 20 goals,” Ruchti said. “We’ve got to find a few of them who can score about six goals each.”

Sandpoint

The Bulldogs girls must compete in the 5A ranks for a second year. Last year the state activities association ruled that since athletes from nearby Clark Fork were playing for Sandpoint, the school had to count Clark Fork’s enrollment. That pushed Sandpoint from 4A to 5A.

Sandpoint could be one of the best teams in the state this fall regardless of classification. The Bulldogs (12-7-4, 7-2-3) graduated just one starter and return 14 lettermen.

At the head of a talented group is senior Bailey Hewitt (f) of Clark Fork. Hewitt has given an oral commitment to the University of Idaho.

Others who will play big roles are seniors Brittany Oakley (mf), Liz Stone (def), Kelsey Windju (gk), Sandy Wahlen (def) and Annie Vogel (f) and junior Alecia Mertz (def).

Hewitt was the league’s newcomer of the year. Stone and Oakley were first-team all-league picks.

“This is the most experience we’ve returned since we won the (4A) state title (2004),” Sandpoint coach Adam Tajan said. “I really like the senior camaraderie and leadership. They’re really hungry for (a state title) – even a little more than others because it’s their last shot at it. With their work rate they stack up with any team I’ve coached.”

The Sandpoint boys did something they had never done previously under 10th-year coach Randy Thoreson last year. The traditional 4A power Bulldogs didn’t qualify for state.

That didn’t sit well during the offseason with Thoreson and his returning players.

“It was not a good feeling,” Thoreson said. “It was way too short of a season.”

Thoreson has 12 lettermen and eight returning starters. His roster is laden with quality.

Defending league champ Sandpoint (11-5-2, 10-1-1) will be led by seniors Spencer Swerin (mf), Tanner French (def) and Ben Murray (def), juniors Daniel Anderson (f), Adam Crossingham (mf) and Anders Nosdahl (def), and sophomore Tanner Williams (f).

“We have a great core back,” Thoreson said. “We’re basically still young, but it’s a very dedicated group.”

It’s a group Thoreson believes can get back to a state title game.

“We’re not playing for anything less,” Thoreson said. “There’s a lot of motivation to get back to the Dance and do well.”