Whitworth Soccer Duo A Winning Combination

Haley Nichols came from the Spokane Valley and Jennifer Tissue from the North Side.

Yet the two Whitworth College soccer players go together like Rodgers and Hammerstein, Hope and Crosby, Young and Rice.

“You won’t find two players who complement each other as well as they have,” said their coach, Damon Hagerott. “The only way I can explain it is they have a combination of personalities that fit together.”

Nichols, from Central Valley, and Tissue, from Shadle Park, have played together for nine years.

They began as eighth-grade teammates in the Skyhawks club program. The last four years have been at Whitworth.

Tissue is the school’s all-time scoring leader with 60 goals and 25 assists. This year she had a record 20 goals and 14 assists and was conference MVP.

Nichols was second in career scoring with 34 goals and 26 assists. She finished not far behind this year, with 14 goals and 9 assists.

Indeed, most often she has been right beside her friend. The problem on the field, said Hagerott, is they remain too close. He has literally been forced to separate them.

“We ran into each other a lot of times on the field,” Tissue admitted. “A couple of games ago I stole the ball from Haley and she stole it from me. We looked like we were on opposite teams.”

As a last resort, Hagerott moved Nichols from forward to midfield to get some distance between the two scorers.

“I’ve never had to do that with a pair of players,” said Hagerott.

Their friendship, said Nichols, was cemented when they were seniors in high school. The two currently live next to each other in Spokane apartments. They room together on road trips.

“We like the same stuff and have the same personalities,” said Nichols.

It has gotten so that they know what the other is thinking and can anticipate each other’s moves during a soccer match.

“In nine years we’ve always been 10 feet apart,” said Nichols. “I knew she was there to play off of.”

Said Tissue, “We just kind of clicked from the very start, when we were age 13 or whatever it was. After nine years I know her tendencies pretty well. I get the ball, sometimes listen and hear her footsteps.”

There has never been any selfishness between the two. If Nichols scored 40 goals and she had none, said Tissue, it would be fine. If she gets an assist, Nichols said, it means that Tissue has scored.

The pair have distinctive styles, they say, which is probably what makes them so compatible.

“I don’t know how to put it in metaphorical terms,” said Hagerott. “One is more subtle, the other explosive.”

Tissue uses finesse to maneuver herself into scoring position. Nichols is more aggressive. She will challenge a defender and beat her.

“She’ll get her nose in there,” said Tissue. “I’m one to run away.”

Both are family oriented and chose Whitworth to remain close to home. Initially, neither knew the other was going to attend the same school.

“It just sort of happened,” said Tissue. “When we found out, it was neat.”

Now their Whitworth soccer relationship is about to end.

“It’s sad to see our soccer careers come to an end, but we’ll continue to play together on indoor and coed teams,” said Nichols.

Both are majoring in education and will be in the market for teaching jobs.

Nichols plans to get married next summer. Her fiance teaches and coaches in Brewster, Wash.

But Nichols and Tissue vow to remain in close contact.

“Their cohesiveness and understanding is a gift,” said their coach.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo