Greater Spokane League girls soccer at a glance

Players to watch

The Greater Spokane League returns its top two scorers – Lewis and Clark’s Julia Moravec and Shadle Park’s Tiara Pajimola – from last year, along with two other 2010 first-team all-league players, LC defender Josie Greenwood and Central Valley midfielder Paige Ellingson.

LC also returns a pair of second-team all-GSL selections in midfielder Gaby Kennedy and forward Sarah Barrentine. Other returning second-team all-league picks included Shadle Park goaltender Ashley Rothrock, CV defender Allison Jordan, University midfielder Shayla Weiler, Mt. Spokane midfielder Rachel Jones and Gonzaga Prep forward Jessica Bennett.

Outlook

Lewis and Clark, with 15 seniors returning, is loaded again and seemingly posed to successfully defend the regular-season GSL title it captured last fall. The biggest question mark with the Tigers is how well they will adapt to the coaching change that saw Katie Carpenter replace Casey Curtis. If they struggle under Carpenter’s new system, look for Mead too shove its way into the top spot, despite having to replace three first-team all-league players from last year’s regular-season runner-up team. G-Prep, which returns eight players who started at least 10 games last fall, could also be a factor.

Playoff picture

Lewis and Clark has advanced to the quarterfinals of the State 4A playoffs each of the last two years and it focused on going even further this year. “Obviously, we want to be GSL champs again,” said Moravec, whose play will go a long way in determining and postseason success the Tigers might experience. “And since we’ve lost in the quarterfinals of the playoff the last two years, we really want to make it to at least the top four this year. But there are a lot of really good teams our league, and we know nothing is going to come easy.”

Mead, which finished as the GSL’s regular-season runner-up to LC last fall, also has a chance to make a deep run in the 4A playoffs, while Mt. Spokane should make the State 3A playoff field.