Kentridge girls savor solid season on the pitch

The Kentridge High girls soccer team lost only its second game all season during the state playoffs against Inglemoor.

“We shouldn’t have lost, but we did our best,” said coach Sherri Rolfs. “We could have scored four times. We hit the post three times.”

While the 1-0 loss on Nov. 12 was a disappointment, it was hard to be sad after such an incredibly positive season for the team.

It gracefully tied up an extremely successful season for the Chargers, who went 13-2-4 overall and were undefeated in their regular season. It also marks the first time in the school’s history that the girls team took the SPSL 4A title.

The team, captained by M’Kenna Hayes and Porsche Jennings, started the season with a five-game winning streak and won or tied every other game in the regular season. Gig Harbor beat the Chargers in the district playoffs.

“It was a great feeling knowing that we were able to set that goal and maintain it throughout the entire season,” said Hayes. “I had this feeling that we were going to go far and do great things this year.”

The pressure to succeed increased with each victory, but Hayes said that it only helped them focus and perform as best they could.

“We knew we had to come out every game and prove to them why we were on the streak,” she said.

While Rolfs was proud of the team’s work, she couldn’t say she was surprised. They had their eyes on the district match from the beginning of the season, she said.

The team worked well together from the start, developing cohesion with experienced veterans and rookies alike. Rolfs said that she could see the team’s strength from day one.

“When I saw the quality of the players at tryouts, I knew that we were going to have a good team,” she said. “My greatest fear was that we had two very young goalies.”

Despite their rookie status, both goalkeepers performed well.

“Our goalies did a fantastic job, they exceeded all my expectations,” Rolfs said.

The biggest factor in their successful season, Rolfs said, was the girls playing together on teams outside of high school. Of the 20 girls on the Chargers, 13 played together with the Pacific Northwest Soccer Club, which Rolfs also coaches. Not only did it help keep down interpersonal conflicts, but it kept the players together in the game.

“We’re all on the same page,” Rolfs said.

Instead of playing a defensive-oriented game, Rolfs’ strategy focused on controlling the ball from the back of the field to the front. While most teams send the ball to midfield when they regain control of it, Rolfs preferred to hold it until they could move it up in a controlled manner.

“When we win the ball, we pass it around and work it up the field,” she said. “We want to keep possession and have the other team chase it.”

Kentridge will lose just four players to graduation. Twins Abbey and Lexi Klinkenberg will depart for Western Washington University while Hayes is considering Western Oregon University. Jennings is undecided on her schooling, but does not plan to pursue soccer in college.

Despite these “big losses” as Rolfs says, there can be no doubt that with 13 sophomores, the Kentridge Charges will remain a powerhouse team for some time.