The time has come for MIHS girls soccer

Published 9:48 am Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Four years after head coach Adam Gervis started, he feels like the soccer program is finally his. All the incoming and current players are adjusted and a part of his system, so naturally the time has come for the rest of KingCo to know it, too.

“This is a group that has been together, apart from the freshman I’ve added, for three years and it’s that time. They are ready,” said Gervis. “They are all my kids now, and that makes a huge difference. For what it’s worth, it’s a good feeling.”

The team returns 12 players, including senior captain Erin Bourguignon, who was out for most of last fall due to an injury shortly after league play began.

“When you lose a player, it’s really tough,” said Gervis of last fall. “It was a shock.” But this season she is back, along with the core of the Islanders’ team from the past year.

“Our strength is the core. The defense is returning everybody; basically, that’s just huge. We’ve made some tactical changes, and they are really buying into that and how that looks,” he said. The team will also include a freshman goalkeeper, a position which Gervis said competition was hot for during tryouts.

One thing this year’s team knows is that they will play the full 80 minutes.

“They understand that they can’t switch out. Last year, there were about four games that were basically done and they turned off and I’ve told them that the motor is going until the end, and they understand that,” said Gervis. “The interesting thing about this group is that, number one, they are very smart; and number two, they understand where I’m coming from and, more importantly, what needs to be taken care of competitively compared to last year.”

With that core of returning players, Gervis said the focus hasn’t been much on what other teams in the league are doing, but more on knowing that other teams may be gunning for the Islanders.

“It’s funny because last year, the first time through the league, we were 5-0 and then we had the thing, so there’s no payback or anything like that. We don’t really work that way. I think what they now understand is that the target is on their back. They should be top dog; whether they are is up to them,” he said.

Gervis said the best part about this fall is how much difference he and the team have seen just in practice compared to last year. They have hit the point where they are working hard, but it is fun.

“This is fun, and the nice thing is when you come to practice and you know you’re going to have fun, and that’s where it is now,” said Gervis. “I think the real difference is the focus in practice.”

The team will take on its first home opponent, Redmond, at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Schedule

9/10 at Ballard

9/12 vs. Redmond

9/15 at Juanita

9/17 vs. Mount Si

9/22 at Sammamish

9/24 at Bellevue

9/29 vs. Liberty

10/3 at Eastside Catholic

10/6 vs. Interlake

10/8 vs. Juanita

10/13 at Mount Si

10/15 vs. Sammamish

10/20 vs. Bellevue

10/22 at Liberty

10/29 at Interlake