WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Winning consistently in the Northwest Conference (NWC) with a roster brimming with 16 sophomores and first-year players is virtually impossible.
The Whitman women's soccer team proved that point last fall, collecting just one victory and one tie in 14 conference contests. Much of that young team is back this fall -- a year older, wiser and more experienced -- and veteran coach Scott Shields expects to field a much more competitive squad.
"Our prospects are looking up," Shields says, looking ahead to his eighth campaign. "We are coming off the best spring practice we've ever had. The team is much stronger than last year."
Despite accruing a collective wealth of experience last fall, Whitman remains a relatively young team, led by co-captains Megan Mackenzie (Spokane WA, Lewis & Clark HS), a junior midfielder, and Meghan Bowen (Bellevue WA, Newport HS), a sophomore defender.
Mackenzie, who battled injuries last season, is now "fully rested and recovered," Shields says. "We're expecting great things from Megan. She'll be one of leaders in the midfield."
Bowen, a defender, was one of only a handful of first-year players around the NWC who earned all-conference honors last fall. "Even though it was her first year, Meghan played like a seasoned veteran. She was the backbone of our defense and a true on-the-field leader."
When Whitman team awards were handed out last fall, Bowen was named Most Valuable Player and Best Defender last fall.
Bowen is at the heart of a defense that returns two more sophomore starters, defender Lindsay Gore (Bainbridge Island WA, Bainbridge HS) and goalkeeper Rena Parcells (Walla Walla WA, Walla Walla HS).
Parcells got off to a late start last season but soon developed into a solid presence in the net. She played in 11 games and led the NWC with 7.89 saves per game. "Having Rena on hand from start to finish gives another great advantage this season that we didn't have last fall," Shields says.
Sophomore Sara Weihmann (West Linn OR, West Linn HS), who registered three assists last season, returns to one of the midfield spots, and "should make a large impact for us this fall," Shields says. Weihmann was named last fall's Best Offensive Player.
Kaitlin Varaday (Suisun City CA, Justin-Siena HS), a sophomore who booted a pair of goals last fall, is moving from outside midfield to one of the forward spots. "Kaitlin gives us more firepower at forward, where she joins Jana Seaman (Boise ID, Centennial HS), a junior who started for us last year," Shields says.
Liz Davis (Pacific Palisades CA, Palisades Charter HS), Whitman's one and only senior, is moving from midfield to forward to bolster the Missionary attack. "Liz had one of our most memorable goals last season, and we're hoping she can add a few more to the memory bank this fall," Shields says.
Davis scored off a header late last season to give Whitman a 1-0 victory over Pacific University. Bowen and Gore helped key the defense, while Parcells played through a shoulder injury to record nine saves in goal.
Shields also is pleased to welcome back two juniors, Julia Makowski (Boulder CO, Boulder HS) and Erin Bray (Canon CO, Canon HS), who played two seasons ago but sat out last fall. Makowski is a forward and Bray a midfielder. "Julia and Erin will give us a bit more veteran leadership on and off the field," Shields says.
Whitman begins its fall season with nine first-year players. Katey Schmitz (Medina WA, Bellevue HS), a midfielder, has "great speed and is the strongest addition to our team," Shields says.
Two more newcomers, Lindsay Colgan (Sumner WA, Sumner HS) and Kim Boese (Edmonds WA, Meadowdale HS) are probable starters on defense. A third freshman, Nanette Langston (Bend OR, Bend HS), should see plenty of playing time at one of the forward spots, Shields says.
The Missionaries kick off their season on Friday, Aug. 31, by hosting Walla Walla Community College in a scrimmage. They travel to the Los Angeles area on Sept. 7-8 for games against Occidental and Whittier colleges, and then close out their non-conference schedule with home games against Eastern Oregon University (Sept. 12) and Montana State-Billings (Sept. 16).
Whitman plays its first three NWC games at home, starting with Whitworth College on Wednesday, Sept. 19.