Medical Lake girls soccer roster thin

MEDICAL LAKE – Like the game he has coached as either that of being the head man, or before that as a longtime assistant, Dan Collins knows the ebbs and flows.

Same goes for the soccer program at Medical Lake, where it is either feast or famine when it comes to participation and results.

"I mean, we've in the past had groups of girls," Collins said. "I mean, they live eat, breathe. Sleep soccer and we just don't have that anymore."

Entering his fourth season as head coach of the Cardinal girls, Collins will walk a tightrope hoping not to tumble off with any injuries. His team - make that program - has just 12 players with 11 needed to play a game.

Oh, to be volleyball where there are multiple teams! But Collins, who has been at Medical Lake since 2006, knows that simply will not happen because in Medical Lake, like other Northeast A League schools there's the middle school gap.

Kids who start soccer at an early age in the Medical Lake's, Riversides or Colville's of the world get to middle school where soccer is not part of the sports program, but volleyball is. That time without the sport in school dampens the desire for those who cannot afford club play.

"I don't think there's any team in our league with middle school soccer," Collins said. And it's just too expensive to offer so he will play with the hand he has been dealt.

Even if he enters the season a few cards short as a handful of players Collins thought would return did not, choosing cheer or volleyball - or just not turning out.

Notable returnees would be Domini Charon, Cassidy Fitzpatrick, Abby Fisher, Jayden Scates and keeper Baylee Bahr. "Cassidy is one of my stronger defenders and Domini is a midfielder or center forward," Collins said.

The team got unexpected help when Julie Chavez, a potential forward of midfielder, transferred in from Texas.

And then, as for the remainder of the players, "I don't know if they've ever really played before, but they're, they're all picking it up," Collins said.

Medical Lake comes off a 1-11 NEA season in 2022 and 1-15 overall.