Experienced girls soccer team could turn some heads this year

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With nearly every player from last year back – and everyone who played regularly – the Blaine girls soccer team is looking to have a competitive season and improve on last year’s overall record of 4–12–1.

The varsity team will likely be an even split of sophomores and seniors. Last year was a season of growth for the Borderites, with about six freshmen regularly starting in varsity games. They had a lot of close losses that head coach Gio Quesada chalked up to inexperience, but steadily improved.

Not only does the program have last year’s whole team back, including unofficial leaders Maya Ball, Sydney Thrall, Sky Nolasco and the rest of the seniors, more girls signed up than in recent years. A few talented freshmen could get some time playing on varsity.

“That’s what every coach wants – a big group and internal competition,” Quesada said. “My teams train together. I don’t have JV practice and varsity practice. So whoever is training hard, who ever is working hard in practice is in [the next varsity game].”

Though the team is more mature and bigger than previous years, it will still be smaller than most in the division, Quesada said. One thing the Borderites are working especially hard on, particularly early in the season, is fitness.

“It’s hard for small schools; the roster is not that big so you have players who are in every game for 80 minutes-plus,” Quesada said.

If Blaine can keep up with bigger schools, it should have the players and experience to have a winning season, Quesada said. “But remember, soccer is weird. In soccer you can have the ball all game and then boom, something happens. For us, it’s game-by-game.”

Blaine plays its first game at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, against Mount Baker at Pipeline Fields.

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