Lynnwood still a work in progress

Published 10:44 pm Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Scores can be deceiving as far as the Lynnwood girls soccer team is concerned.

The Royals were on the short end of a 7-0 loss to Jackson in their season opener last week.

But for the first 21 minutes, Lynnwood stayed with the 4A state playoff contender.

“We were fighting,” Royals coach Daghan Kesim said.

While most of Jackson’s players are on select or club teams, Lynnwood only has two players that are involved in select soccer — freshman Hannah Lemm and senior Christina Mah.

The Royals also struggled with numbers as only 23 players showed up for tryouts.

Kesim still sees a bright future for Lynnwood, which has four freshmen on the roster. Lemm was named a co-captain, a move Kesim acknowledges is a little unorthodox.

“She’s doing a great job,” Kesim said. “For the future it’s looking great. Lynnwood has never had two freshmen starting. It’s the most positive thing that happened this year.”

Freshman goalkeeper Natalie Cochopo has a bright future ahead of her, Kesim added.

The enthusiasm the Royals are bringing can only lead to positive changes.

“They have good character,” Kesim said of his players. “They do want to change the program.”

The goal in the preseason is simple. Lynnwood is looking to prepare for league play.

“We’re trying to create a team to go far in the playoffs,” Kesim said. “I know it sounds like a dream. I’ve done dreams before. These girls have the heart.”

The Royals also need more support from parents and the rest of the community, Kesim said. The support at the Jackson game was the most he’s seen so far.