GSL and GNL soccer preview
Greater Spokane League
While CV is a near-unanimous pick to win the Greater Spokane League title, Lewis and Clark figures to be the Bears’ closest challenger. That’s not surprising, considering the Tigers finished second a year ago and return eight starters from a team that reached the 4A regionals and finished 14-5 overall. “We have a senior-laden team that’s hungry to get over the hump,” said fifth-year LC coach Mica Lamb. “We’re ready to take the next step.” In all-GSL first-teamer Charlie Rieger and second-team pick Jack Bryant, the Tigers will have one of the best back lines in the league. Other seniors projected to start are defender Eric Huber, midfielders Henry Smaldon and the all-senior front line of Adam Thompson, Jackson Moore and Chandler Goff. Several sophomores will play key roles, including Will Hoefer and Jared Mehaffey in midfield, and Josh Via and John Zylak in goal. If the Tigers can stay in the hunt, they could set up a de facto GSL title match against CV on April 29, the final day of the regular season. “Our goals are sky-high,” Lamb said.
Four months after leading the Gonzaga Prep girls to the state 4A semifinals, coach Billy Barmes hopes for a deep run with the boys. The Bullpups (6-3 in the GSL and 10-7 overall last year. welcome back eight starters and should have an elite back line with all-league returnee Jack Coomes and Kalil Taylor – although the latter is in the running for goalkeeper this year. Barmes says the Pups have a lot of talent “spread over three classes,” and have speed and strength in the attack. After four nonleague games, Dillon Vandiver has five goals and Hunter McKenna has three. “The season has the potential to be a successful one,” Barmes said.
Two years ago it was Ferris that reached the 4A title game, also falling to Snohomish. Now the Saxons are coming off a 13-7 season that ended in the second round of regionals. “If we can stay healthy we’ll be in the hunt, but one injury could have a big impact,” said coach Robin Crain, who returns just four starters and seven lettermen and is worred about depth. On the the plus side, Crain should have one of the best midfields in the GSL thanks to returning all-GSL first-team pick Eric Hollenbaugh. The defense is anchored by second-team defender Curt McCune. The Saxons (2-1 in the preseason, have 12 upperclassmen on their roster, including Andrew Fruci, who has three goals already this season.
There’s plenty of youthful optimism at University, where first-year coach Mitch Weller inherits 10 starters from a team that went 7-6 overall. “All of the investment in the players last year will pay off this year,” said Weller, a 2012 Gonzaga graduate who also has coached at the Washington East Soccer Club and the Shadle Park junior varsity. The Titans don’t return any all-league players, but Weller is counting on “strong team cohesion and a willingness to buy in and work for each other in order to accomplish our team goals.” So far, that’s translated into a 2-1 record after 6-0 wins over Medical Lake and North Central. In those games, Austin Sterner and Tyler Kemp have three goals each and Bailey VanSlyke has five assists.
Mead missed the postseason last year, but coach Kevin Houston has 11 returning lettermen and eight starters back from a team that went 7-4. The Panthers have 11 juniors, which could mean success this year and next. “We have some key players, and if we play to potential, we can hopefully earn playoff position this year,” Houston said. Newcomer Peter Weller, a junior midfielder, and senior forward Koby Wilburn had a goal and an assist each in 5-0 nonleague win last week over North Central. The Panthers are 1-2 entering GSL play.
Mt. Spokane is coming off a rebuilding season that still netted the Wildcats a district title and a berth in the first round of state. But after going 2-7 in the GSL and 6-9 overall, coach Ryan Campanella returns eight starters and 13 lettermen and predicts that “all of the investment in the players last year will pay off this year.” The key returnee is midfielder Tyler Smith, a first-team all-GSL pick who spent spring break training in England with Stoke City. “We feel really good about the season and all of the returning talent,” said Campanella, whose team is 1-2 entering GSL play.
At Shadle Park, coach Donavon Hodgson returns six starters and 11 letter winners from a team that finished 1-8 in the GSL and 1-13 overall. The Highlanders have already exceeded that mark; they’re 1-2-1 after a scoreless tie with East Valley. That was preceded by a 7-1 win over 1A Lakeside in which Eddie Montiel and Braedon Harlow each had a goal and two assists. Shadle is getting strong play from newcomer Sao Bakana.
Not only is North Central coming off a solid 3-6 record in the GSL, the Indians return eight starters and 11 letter winners for third-year coach Matt Leonard. However, this year’s squad is the youngest in the league, with 16 of 19 players being underclassmen. NC is 0-4 so far, but Leonard said, “We have a great group of young, talented players who are eager to learn.”
Rogers coach Valentin Dimitrov enters his 10th year with 11 returning letter winners and six starters from a team that went 1-8 in league and 5-8 overall. The Pirates are 3-0 entering GSL play after lopsided wins over Riverside, Deer Park and Medical Lake. Mohammaed Said and Javier Ayala-Rosales each have a trio of goals so far.
Great Northern League
Pullman is the heavy favorite, returning eight starters from a team that went 16-4 and reached the second round of the 2A playoffs. Coach Doug Winchell enters his 10th year with a record of 118-54 and returns a wealth of talent up front, including all-GNL first-team returnees Matt Winchell – the coach’s son – and Mason Petrino, the son of Idaho football coach Paul Petrino. Nevertheless, Winchell worries about inexperience on defense, the lack of a true striker and a league that “will be very competitive.” To prove his point, the Greyhounds needed overtime to subdue Cheney, 2-1, last weekend.
The biggest development is the coaching change at Cheney, where Mark Kiver stepped down after 22 years, a state 2A title and four runner-up finishes. His successor is Spokane native Morgan Hartonov, who inherits just two starters from a team that went 12-7 last year and reached regionals. “We have a very technically good team with a lot of quality players stepping up from JV last year,” said Hartonov, who’s counting on the leadership of captains Kelby Holland and Noah Prophet.
East Valley has key players returning across the board in first-team all-GNL picks Tristan Gresch at forward, Devonte Gorman in midfield and Ryan Graham in the back. “We have a lot of talent with not a lot of depth,” said EV coach Gabe Escobar, who went 7-5 in league and 8-9 overall last season.
At West Valley, coach Lenny Peterson has six starters back from last year’s 4-8 squad. Up front he’s counting on newcomers Mike Silva and Kristian Olesen. The Eagles are 1-1 in GNL play after a 3-1 win over Clarkston in which Kual Nyiang scored twice off penalty kicks.