Competitive core
In this neighborhood, an appraisal just isn’t enough.
In the Greater Spokane League, girls soccer is the athletic equivalent of prime real estate, and in this neighborhood there are pedigrees aplenty. And that makes preseason predictions about as reliable as forecasting next month’s weather.
The preseason pick to win the league title, University, is by no means a run-away favorite.
“I don’t think there’s a single team in this league that will allow us to make mistakes and still expect to win,” Titans coach Kevin Houston said. “That’s the parity in this league.”
A year ago there were 26 league games decided by a single goal — eight in overtime shootouts.
If nothing else, the league’s talent pool has gotten even deeper this year. The U-17 Spokane Shadow won the U.S. Club Soccer National Championship last month, and its U-14 counterpart was a national finalist. The 30 players on the roster of those two teams spread across 10 GSL rosters.
The Titans had seven players on those two teams — six on the U-17 squad, including first-team All-GSL performers Tonya Schnibbe and Alex Marquard, and second-team pick Layne Brower.
Central Valley
Coach Brandon Deyarmin has his usual problem.
“Every year I tell myself I’m only going to keep 17 or 18 players on the varsity,” he said. “Right now I’ve got 21 players on the varsity because I have that much talent. It’s a good problem to have, I guess.”
The Bears have five seniors on a team loaded with juniors. Midfieder Brianna Davenport and forward Sara Wilson have the most experience, but defender Vanessa Arrotta and forwards Kelli Johns and Brooke Rose all help provide a young team with senior leadership.
“I’ve got a lot of experience coming back from last year, but we’re still young,” Deyarmin said. “We were young last year and we’re still young.”
Junior midfielders Jennifer McKinsey and Molly Nordstrom, forward Lindsey Pavlischak and defender Janelle Moore all fill key positions. Deyarmin said he will need a few games to get a better idea of his team’s strengths.
“There’s no question, you don’t get a real idea of what your players can do until you see them play in game conditions. You just can’t simulate those conditions in practice.”
East Valley
The Knights won eight games a year ago despite losing standout Lindsay Jacobs to injury three games into the season.
This year East Valley drops down to Class 3A. Instead of battling Gonzaga Prep and University for a berth in the playoffs, the Knights will battle Cheney, Clarkston, North Central and West Valley.
“As far as the regular season is concerned, it doesn’t make the least bit of difference,” second-year coach Jeff Rose said. “We still have to go out there and play the same teams week in and week out. The difference comes at the end of the season.”
East Valley was young a year ago, starting two freshmen, four sophomores and three juniors. Junior Lucy Giblette is a two-year starter at center midfield. Sophomore forward Kylee Williamson and defender Kaylyn Plumb are also two-year starters.
Senior Katlyn Laughlin transferred in from Cheney and adds depth and more senior leadership to a young, experienced team.
“East Valley is a team you cannot overlook,” Houston said. “In a way, they’re typical of the entire league. You have to go out there and play your best against them.”
University
The Titans were so deep a year ago that Ally Meyer, the backup goalkeeper on the national champion Spokane Shadow squad, couldn’t crack the varsity roster.
It wasn’t long ago, if a team had six players off a national championship club team on its roster, it would be a hands-down pick to run away and hide. “In today’s league, I wish I had four or five more,” Houston laughed. “The league is growing,the girls are playing at a very high level on an annual basis, and that says a lot for our league.”
Brower and junior Kayla Miller, also a member of the national championship squad, will anchor the U-Hi defense. Junior Katie McElroy joins Marquard, also a junior, in the midfield. Schnibbe, also a junior, leads the attack. Having players with high-caliber club experience raises the bar for everyone.
“When these girls are playing well, every one else has to come out and play hard and aggressive in order to compete,” Houston said. “To play on the varsity level of this team, girls have to come out and work really hard just to get a spot.”
West Valley
The turnout numbers are low at West Valley this year: 23 players showed up when coach Shelli Totten rolled out the balls for the first practice three weeks ago.
“This is the smallest group I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Totten said. “The good news is I have a good core. We lost some key defenders, but I have a good group to work with. We have some young kids up from last year’s junior varsity that are going to be thrown into the fire.”
The bad news comes for the junior varsity this year. The team was forced to play shorthanded in its first game.
Totten is hoping that, now that classes have begun, she can find a few more players.
The Eagles have outstanding speed up front. Sophomores Lindsay Hood and Allie Allen both started as freshmen. Outside midfielders Jenna Isherwood (senior) and Chandler Olinger (junior) both return, as does senior goalkeeper Jaclyn Rouse. Seniors Cayla Skillman and Megan Stantus anchor the defense.
Totten said she’s looking forward to the addition of North Central, coached by former Valley Christian boys coach Jennifer Tissue, and East Valley to the Class 3A GSL ranks.
“It’s going to be nice come playoff time,” She said. “It gives us some more competition. Not that Cheney isn’t enough — they’re good. But it will be nice to have a few more teams so there will be a better playoff format.”