Taking it step at a time

One by one the Lakeland High girls soccer team has checked off the goals on its things-to-accomplish list.

There was the first win in school history over Coeur d’Alene two years ago. There was the first win over Lake City last year. And then there was the first victory over 4A state powerhouse Sandpoint in a season-opening match this fall.

Now there’s just one more goal that remains to be checked off the list – earn a trip to state.

At their current pace, the Hawks (4-1-0 overall and league) should accomplish the final goal this year.

It’s not a goal they’re preoccupied with, though. At least none of the three seniors who have been four-year starters seem to be spending any time thinking about it.

To a teammate, seniors Kayla Stiegemeier (forward), Alisha Puckett (midfielder) and Keeva Duffey (midfielder) are saying the same thing.

“We’re taking it one match at a time,” any one of the seniors will tell you.

Yes, it’s a mantra that they’ve learned well from coach Mario Maddy.

Stiegemeier and junior forward Natalie Nichols have led Lakeland’s scoring attack. Stiegemeier has scored a team-high 13 goals, including a game-high five, and seven assists. Nichols has five goals and four assists.

While Stiegemeier and Nichols have garnered much of the attention, Maddy said they’re just taking advantage of opportunities provided by teammates.

“They don’t get the goals without their teammates getting them the ball,” Maddy said. “What pleases me most is this is a team. There’s a common bond between the entire group.”

Duffey agreed.

“There are no cliques,” Duffey said. “We all get along. We’re a team. We have to be a team to win.”

With defending state champ Sandpoint graduating 11 players, Lakeland has been tabbed as the team to beat in the Inland Empire League. If there’s pressure to fulfill expectations, the seniors said they don’t feel it.

They showed they were ready for the season when they topped defending state champ Sandpoint 5-1.

The Hawks came close to breaking through last year. They fell to Moscow 2-1 in a double-overtime, season-ending setback in the regional tournament. Sandpoint and Moscow went on to meet in the state final.

“I think we were one of the top three teams in the state last year; we just didn’t get a chance to prove it,” Maddy said.

Puckett agreed.

“It was a really tough loss, but that really motivated us for this year,” Puckett said.

Each of the seniors is being recruited to play in college. Stiegemeier took a trip last weekend to Idaho State University and has trips scheduled to Seattle Pacific, Boise State and Eastern Washington. Puckett and Duffey are drawing interest from smaller schools.

“They’ve helped put our program on the map,” Maddy said.

The mission will be complete when Lakeland qualifies for state.

“That would be a great step and that’s something we’re hoping for, but there’s no guarantees,” Stiegemeier said, alluding to the fact that the Hawks are squarely focused on matters at hand, not season’s end. “We have to continue playing well.”