Junior Varsity - Bellevue vs Sehome 9-5-24

7-0  BHS @ Sehome HS

Emily (Serena)
Tara
Emily (Charlotte)
Charlotte (Serena)
Tara (Serena)
Addie
Elina

It was a hot evening in Bellingham on Thursday as the Bellevue High School girl’s Junior Varsity soccer squad hit the field for the first time in 2024. With only two full practices under our belt, it was hard to determine exactly what this team was going to bring to the table this season.

With an unprecedented 8 freshman on the roster, I was a little apprehensive heading into this game as I’m just learning names let alone positions and talent. This Sehome JV team lost just one game last season and won 13. Needless to say, I was expecting a good test for our first game.

As I’ve learned in my seven years at BHS, roster numbers and talent are very cyclical. Some years JV teams are blessed with upper classmen that barely miss out on a varsity spot and some years it can be a rebuilding year.
The game started slowly in the heat and jitters were evident. Peter and I spoke after the game that for the first few minutes we were both a little nervous as Sehome came out feisty and ready to play.

Unfortunately for the Mariners, it didn’t last long. We quickly took control and we settled into our pre-game emphasis: possession. We earned a penalty kick on a handball in the penalty area about 10 minutes into the game and it seemed to calm everyone’s nerves. Although Tara uncharacteristically skyed the ball over the net (the last I’ll mention it), we started to play much better soccer after that point.

From there, the goals came quickly. Emily got us started with a looping shot over the keeper for our first goal of the season. Tara redeemed herself minutes later with a tap in after the goalkeeper fumbled a shot. Emily got another soon after when she collected a cross from Charlotte and put it nicely into the back of the net. Charlotte finished off our first half scoring as she shuffled in a lose ball after a Serena cross. Halftime 4-0.

At halftime we talked about stepping up our intensity. With the goals coming easily, I had asked the girls to work on possession and not goals. Instead, the intensity dropped, and our level of play suffered. In games like these, where goals are not an issue, we want to respect our opponents but get our work in. We got a little lazy toward the end of the first half, so we all agreed we needed to step things up a notch in the second half.

To my delight, the girls came out firing. With renewed intensity and the goal toward working the ball around the field and keeping possession, three more goals came fast after the break. Tara, Addie N and Elina all tallied in the second half.

While the game was easier than expected, it was a great opportunity to play together and get to know each other. Being our first time on the pitch, I was pleased with the effort and result. Things are guaranteed to get much tougher as we get into the bulk of our season. We will be playing bigger schools with deeper rosters and (gulp) faster players. We will have our work cut out for us.

There is lots to work on to get this squad where I want it but looking at this young team and the effort they put out yesterday in difficult conditions, I think our future is bright.  

A shout out to Emily and Serena who each had a hat trick (3 goals for Emily and 3 assists for Serena) in their first high school game. Congrats. I’ll expect that every game 😊