Anticipation rising for Viking girls fall soccer

Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, August 30, 2006

POULSBO — It’s a new year and one that the North Kitsap Viking girls soccer squad is set to make the best of.

With one of their biggest turnouts in recent years, an experienced returning varsity core and a league realignment leaving reputations at the door, the Vikings’ anticipation is great.

“I’m just excited to get on the field, honestly,” said junior Stephanie Skelly. “Just to put it all together and see what’s going to work and what’s not going to work.”

Through the short duration of fall sports preseason practice — which began Aug. 21 — the Vikings have put in plenty of their own hard work as the team has placed a particular emphasis on conditioning this year, co-team captain Brenna Lander said.

“I want to go into this new league and leave a mark this year,” Lander said, noting a benefit of the unfamiliarity between the teams in the new Narrows League Bay Division.

North will be regularly competing against its new conference foes — Central Kitsap, Bellarmine Prep, Mount Tahoma, Olympia and Stadium — but its first game of the season will be fueled by rivalry as the Vikings travel to Bainbridge Island starting the year at 7:15 p.m. Sept. 5.

“(The BI game) will be a good measuring stick,” Skelly said. “When we look at that game, I think it will give us a good idea of where we will be at this season.”

North is already ahead of where it was at the end of last year and more importantly the Vikings are also healthier. With nine players returning from last year’s injury riddled squad — which finished one spot out of playoff contention — experience has been a major factor in NK’s improvement.

With the basics of second year coach Pat Stickney’s system already in place, the Vikings have been focused on enhancing and fortifying their offensive attack in order to capitalize on what proved — last year — to be a solid defense.

“We’re finding the right people for the job,” said Stickney. “And coming up with a formula based on the team concept.”

Spending more time on stylizing and diversifying their game, the Vikings have also focused on getting more people involved and, in effect, improving team communication.

Cohesiveness will be either the key to the Vikings’ success or the dagger of their demise depending on whether or not it can be fostered in the short time before the conference season begins with the first home game against Stadium, 7 p.m., Sept. 21.

“There’s a lot of talent here, but everyone plays their individual way, and we’ve got to get it all together as a team,” Lander said.