If there’s one thing Edmonds Community College’s women’s soccer team would like to do better this season, it’s getting along.
Things got so bad last year, that near the end of the season, four players were suspended for four games, which led to EdCC’s fall from the top of their league, to fifth place, and out of playoff contention, coach Teddy Mitalas said.
“The one thing I like about this year’s team is that they’re all friends,” Mitalas said. “They’re competitive against each other, but they also care about each other too.”
Midfielder Elissa Evans said, “last year there was more conflict, more personal issues that weren’t left off the field when they should have been. This year there hasn’t been that issue.”
This year’s team has not only made an effort to get along on the field, but off the field as well.
“I think our team is pretty unified this year,” said captain Cat Baller, a Jackson graduate. “Its kind of awesome, we always hang out together.”
“There’s a lot more team unity and harmony, and everybody works hard and everybody works together, hopefully the end result will be good,” Evens said.
Mitalas said this year’s number one goal is “to finish as a team.”
One of the reasons for EdCC’s growth in cohesiveness is the addition of several new players to this year’s roster.
“We’ve got 11 new players,” Mitalas said. “I think the players that we picked up are good players. I’m satisfied with them.”
“This year we have an all new offense; Two new forwards, new mid-fielders, and a pretty strong defense,” captain Shannon Baskett said. “We have two of the returning defenders and a good goalie.”
“Tricia McMillin, our goalie coming in from Meadowdale last year, is doing a great job,” Mitalas said.
Returning from last year’s team is the core of the defense.
“We have some real strong defenders,” Mitalas said. “We have three returners in the back, so that helped out.”
EdCC is also returning this year with more versatility.
Baskett said last year “we had a strong defensive team, but struggled offensively.”
“Skill wise, everyone has something to offer to this year’s team,” midfielder Shannal Cruver said.
But with a limited sized roster, injuries could hamper EdCC during the later months of the season.
“I’m kind of concerned that we only have one goalie,” Baller said.
“As long as nobody gets hurt, we’ll be fine, but once we progress further into the fall, it gets colder, and pulled muscles are more common,” Evans said.
Mitalas is hoping to decrease the amount of injuries players may sustain through conditioning.
“We did a lot of fitness last week, we ran ‘em a lot.”
With a roster of only 15, Mitalas said staying healthy is a top priority in order to compete against top schools such as Walla Walla, which has a roster of 22.
Along with Walla Walla, Spokane and EdCC are picked as favorites in the NWAACC northeast region, according to the coaches poll.
“I anticipate us being in the top four (for the Northeast region), there’s no way we shouldn’t be,” Mitalas said.
“Our goal is to win NWAACC,” Baskett said. “We’re a good enough team.”
“If we work together and combine plays together, I think we’ll be fine,” Mitalas said. “They’ll pay attention to each other and support each other, that’s the big key there.”
EdCC faces Spokane tonight (Friday, Sept. 24) at 5 p.m. and Walla Walla on Saturday at 2 p.m.. Both games take place at Lynnwood High School.
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