Last year to win 3A soccer crown
Wood River team aims high
There is only one more year to wear the 3A
state championship crown and the Wood River High School girls soccer team is
hoping that this is their year.
The team won the A2 state championship
title in 2000, before the divisions were reclassified. But since the change to
3A in 2001, the team has finished fourth at the state tournament two years
running.
"Our goal this fall is to win the district
tournament and then take that momentum and win state," said Coach Doug Stouffer.
However, the state tournament is still two
months away, and navigating the road to state may prove to be a little more
difficult this year.
In anticipation of next year’s jump to the
4A division, the team is facing its most difficult schedule yet, including the
defending state champions, McCall-Donnelly, Bishop Kelly and Capital out of the
Boise area and Century out of Pocatello.
"This year is going to be a good
experience in competing with 4A and 5A schools. We just want to have good,
competitive games, even if we don’t always come out on top," said Stouffer.
In addition, this year’s squad will have
to compensate for the loss of two key components from last year’s 10-6-2 squad.
Goalkeeper Kelly Haisley and forward Robin Kearns, the second leading career
goal scorer for Wood River, both graduated last spring.
Regardless of these obstacles, Stouffer is
optimistic. Now in his fourth year at the helm of the program, he is counting on
the experience of his seven seniors to help the team face such challenges.
Leading the charge up front will be senior
Charlotte Gourlay, who was the second leading goal scorer for the team last
year. The team will also rely on the speed of senior Rebecca Schwartzenberger, a
track star in the spring, to make runs down the outside. Senior Kate Elgee will
be key to ball distribution and controlling the midfield.
Other seniors include Kaylie Aaker,
Danielle Maniere, Nicole Carlsen and Kim Brown, who recently transferred from
the Community School.
"The seniors recognize that it’s a harder
schedule this year and that’s good motivation," said Stouffer.
A tenacious junior class will aid the
seniors, including sweeper Gina Thomas, who was first team all-state last year
as a sophomore.
Marking back Ashley Mardian, forward
Ireland King and midfielder Jessi Pieschel were key players for the junior
varsity squad in 2002 and contributed minutes on varsity during last year’s
state tournament.
Danielle Donovan, who played goal for the
JV last year, will fill the gap left by Haisley. Other juniors include Erin
McQueen, Casey Fahey and Ashley Hurley.
Margie Driscoll, a formidable force for
the JV last year, is the lone sophomore on the team.
The JV squad is facing a similarly
difficult schedule and third-year coach, Greg Gvozdas, feels that his talented
squad is up to the challenge.
A large group of freshmen, many of whom
played for Gvozdas during the spring season with Sawtooth United, will join
sophomores Katie Jensen, Simone Kastner, Kate Sawicz, Nicole Schulz, Laura Speck
and Kimbra Turner.
The freshmen include Ellen Ard, Calley
Brown, Tara Cappel, Alix Cayce, Kacie Femling, Kaitlin Gasenica, Brianna
Hull-Mullins, Grayson Palmer, Gabrielle Sisson, Danielle Smith and Alex Turzian.