South Whidbey Reign U-14 girls soccer team loses in state semis

By Evan Thompson ethompson@whidbeynewsgroup.com • February 10, 2018 6:00 am
Evan Thompson / The Record — South Whidbey Reign’s U-14 girls soccer team lost in the semifinals of the Washington State Youth Founders Cup on Feb 3. From left to right, top row: Assistant coach Makenzie Peterson, Mackenna Lane, Ruby Bond, Adeline McCleary, Simone White, Sidney Ollis, Ashton Helseth, Mary Milnes, Liz Haines, head coach Karl Peterson. Bottom row: Savannah Simmons, Lenice Gonzales, Mikenna Wicher, Jane Haines, Kailey Ricketts and Nicole Murnane.
Evan Thompson / The Record — South Whidbey Reign’s U-14 girls soccer team lost in the semifinals of the Washington State Youth Founders Cup on Feb 3. From left to right, top row: Assistant coach Makenzie Peterson, Mackenna Lane, Ruby Bond, Adeline McCleary, Simone White, Sidney Ollis, Ashton Helseth, Mary Milnes, Liz Haines, head coach Karl Peterson. Bottom row: Savannah Simmons, Lenice Gonzales, Mikenna Wicher, Jane Haines, Kailey Ricketts and Nicole Murnane.

South Whidbey Reign’s U-14 girls soccer team recently fell short of playing for another state championship.

The Reign lost to NSC Dash 1-0 in the semifinals of the Washington State Founders Cup at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. South Whidbey finished the season 6-3-3.

NSC Dash scored the lone goal off a free kick in about the 60th minute. Karl Peterson, head coach, thought the game was going to overtime. So did his players, who lost a bit of their focus.

“They were pretty let down,” Peterson said.

Peterson didn’t let the loss take away from what the Reign accomplished this season. It was an up and down year with highs and lows, he said, but the team played well when it had to.

The Reign beat Seattle United 1-0 in the state quarterfinals on Jan. 27 at the South Whidbey Sports Complex. Sidney “Shorty” Ollis, an eighth grader, scored the team’s only goal in about the 60th minute.

Peterson told the team that reaching the state semifinals is no easy task

“That’s what I reminded the girls of after the game when they were all in tears, just how impressive it is to get to this point multiple years,” Peterson said. “They did have success and they have accomplished a lot.”

The Reign had 14 players this season, but will lose five of them next year. Peterson is optimistic the program can do a lot for each player’s development both on and off the field.

“I think it’s a great program that not only offers them development as soccer players, but as young women,” Peterson said.

“That’s a focus I put on, is making sure we’re talking about other things and learning how to show respect and work together, and when you have problems you talk to people.”

Evan Thompson / The Record South Whidbey Reign’s U-14 girls soccer team lost in the semifinals of the Washington State Youth Founders Cup on Feb. 3. From left to right, top row: assistant coach Makenzie Peterson, Mackenna Lane, Ruby Bond, Adeline McCleary, Simone White, Sidney Ollis, Ashton Helseth, Mary Milnes, Liz Haines, head coach Karl Peterson. Bottom row: Savannah Simmons, Lenice Gonzales, Mikenna Wicher, Jane Haines, Kailey Ricketts and Nicole Murnane.

Evan Thompson / The Record South Whidbey Reign’s U-14 girls soccer team lost in the semifinals of the Washington State Youth Founders Cup on Feb. 3. From left to right, top row: assistant coach Makenzie Peterson, Mackenna Lane, Ruby Bond, Adeline McCleary, Simone White, Sidney Ollis, Ashton Helseth, Mary Milnes, Liz Haines, head coach Karl Peterson. Bottom row: Savannah Simmons, Lenice Gonzales, Mikenna Wicher, Jane Haines, Kailey Ricketts and Nicole Murnane.