Estrella Medina, a member of the senior class at Ilwaco High School, concentrates as she throws the ball to a teammate during drills designed to practice trapping the soccer ball with the thigh or chest.

Ilwaco’s fall soccer squad agrees: It’s a kick!

Coach Andrew Goodwin was enthused as he put the players through drills during a gray morning.

“I’m looking forward to this new season to work with the team to improve even more, and build upon what we started last season,” he said.

Senior midfielder Ione Sheldon will be one of the captains. She likes the tone Goodwin sets. “Everybody on the team is super positive,” she said. “We all get along pretty well. Our coach is a funny guy — it is always a good time.”

Another senior, Chloe Stringer, played when younger and returned to the soccer pitch last year. “This is the most fun I have ever had in any sport,” the tall midfielder said. “I like my team and my coach. It’s just a lot of fun.”

Soccer was introduced in Ilwaco five years ago. In Washington, the girls play a fall season and the boys’ team — which Goodwin also coaches — plays in the spring.

The pandemic upset or curtailed all WIAA sports schedules for a couple of years.

“Last year was tough as we came back from a break due to covid, but we learned a lot and were able to build some team cohesion,” Goodwin said.

Ilwaco hosts Tenino Sept. 10 before a couple of road trips to Onalaska and Winlock.

“Adna and Forks will likely be two of the tougher opponents in our league,” the coach said. Ilwaco will have played five games before the Fishermen host Adna Oct. 5. The daunting road trip to Forks is scheduled Oct. 17.

As well as Sheldon and Stringer, the coach is welcoming back seniors Estrella Medina, Sam Grote, Zoey Zuern and junior Abbiegail Williams, a forward.

Zuern will share goalkeeping duties with freshman Juliet Perez, who began her love of soccer as a kindergartner and played last season as an eighth grader.

Other seniors on the squad are Sofia Bautista, Paige Frank and Sarah Frank. Juniors Kaitlyn Banuet, Emily Hernandez Ortega and Karen Moreno, plus freshmen Jaquelyne Aburto and Levi Kerwin, round out the squad.

Even as light rain threatens to dampen practice, the camaraderie is evident.

It was summed up by Grote, a defender. “I like it — it is a lot of fun to do,” she said.

“Everybody enjoys each other’s company. I enjoy away games. Win or lose, we have a good time in the bus on the way home!”

Ilwaco 2022 Girls Soccer Schedule

Sept. 10. Tenino (h) 3 p.m.

Sept. 19. Onalaska (a)

Sept. 21. Winlock (a)

Sept. 26. Napavine (h)

Oct. 3. Ocosta (a)

Oct. 5. Adna (h)

Oct. 10. South Bend (a)

Oct. 12 Napavine (a)

Oct. 17. Forks (a)

Oct. 19. Ocosta (h)

Oct. 24. Adna (a)

Oct,. 26. South Bend (h)

Oct. 29. Game TBA

Nov. 1-5 District TBA

All 6 p.m. unless indicated