Girls? soccer sets sights on title

It?s seems like a simple enough goal, but with a young team, winning the Southeast Conference title won?t be easy for the Washington girls? soccer team.

Despite only having four seniors listed on the roster, all of the veterans are focused on climbing to the top in 2015.

?All the seniors are hoping to be conference champs this year,? Washington senior Kayla Shindler said. ?We want to go out with a bang. Overall, we are hoping to work better as a team and use each other more this year. It?s going to take a lot of hard work on our part. We have to put 100 percent into every single practice we have, and we can?t be lazy.?

The Demons are coming off a 4-11 season, and also will be without their top goal scorer from last season, Chayse Jaspering.

Shindler (5 goals in 2014)  leads all returners in scoring, and her leadership has helped the team prepare for the start of the season.

?I?ve tried to help girls out, and when they don?t know what to do, I try to help (Washington girls? soccer head coach Kyle Collins) by being a leader and making sure I?m doing what I tell girls to do too,? Shindler said. ?We have a lot of freshmen and girls who don?t have much soccer experience. (The biggest obstacle) is getting everybody used to the game.?

With a lot of youth on the pitch this season, and relatively low numbers, the Demons will have to put the freshmen out in the game early and often, something that Collins is looking at as a positive.

?Youth is always a challenge,? Collins said. ?Getting them involved is a good step, right off the bat. Injuries and our numbers are a big obstacle, but you work with what you have and hopefully everything will pan out. I think (early playing time) helps them. Instead of there being a lot of players on the team already, then you get seven freshmen and they go in here and there, they have to step in and jump right into the challenge and get right on that.?

The Demons will return five of the seven players who scored goals last season, as well as the top two goalkeepers from a season ago.

Senior Stephanie Evans logged 715 minutes of time in net last season, while junior Cheyanne Schalk put in 305 minutes, with each posting save percentages over 70 percent.

With practice only having started on March 23, Collins said he isn?t sure who will be taking over the role as the top player, but thinks there are many options.

?It?s too early to tell right now,? Collins said. ?We still have a little under a week until our game, but right now we don?t have an outstanding, phenomenal key player, but we have a group that can certainly bloom into one of those very quickly.?

With so many potential stars on the team, it will take a strong mentality for girls to set themselves apart on the team.

?All these seniors, and girls below them, have what it takes,? Collins said. ?It?s going to take that drive and playing every game like it?s your last. Seniors will show that throughout the year, but it goes throughout the whole team. If that happens, anyone can be our key player.?

With the thoughts of conference in mind, the team is chomping at the bit to start the season.

?I think we are ready for our first game,? Shindler said. ?We just want to get out there and finally play instead of having practice. We want to go against a team and be aggressive.?

According to Collins, the big key for their first game (at Columbus on Tuesday) is to just get back in the flow of game speed and gain experience.

?We want to get the cobwebs out,? Collins said. ?Once you get that first game under your belt, you get a little more comfortable. It helps the younger kids, the newcomers, get those butterflies out, and that helps. Obviously we want to win, but we need to play as a team and work through that.?

The game against Columbus will begin at 4:30 p.m.