Girls team looks to step up its game

Following a season plagued by injuries and a shortage of girls on the roster, the Bigfork Valkyries will be looking to redeem themselves in what will be the final season for five of the 14 girls on the team.

The Bigfork girls soccer team is still competing in Class A while all the other Bigfork teams are competing in Class B for just the second year, but the Vals still have plenty of changes to get used to. They lost their head coach of two years, Hauna Trenerry, whose teaching position at Bigfork High School was eliminated during budget cuts. Stepping up in her place is Charlie Appleby, who served as her assistant both seasons.

"Strategically I'm going to coach pretty much the same way Hauna did, so there won't be too many changes there," Appleby said. "I think that will really help the girls that have been in the system. A third year in the same system is really going to help them shine. We lost a lot of experience with Hauna, though, and I'm going to try to make up for that with encouragement and inspiration."

The Numbers

Up, but down

At times last year Bigfork didn't have enough players to allow for substitutions and going into the season the roster sits at 14.

"A couple injuries and we're in trouble. That's always a concern," Appleby said. "The good thing about not having a lot of depth is that the girls are getting a lot of experience and playing time"

Age and experience

The team lost three of its seniors to graduation in June. This year the team has no freshmen on it, six sophomores and three juniors.

Even though there aren't any freshmen on the team, there are a few newcomers. Sophomore Marriah Bradstreet, who is also the football team's manager, has joined the soccer team after not playing last year and so has Alexandra Dillon, who is also a sophomore. The girls also picked up a transfer student from Alaska, sophomore Kalea Monroe.

The team also has five seniors, who include Quinci Paine, Caitlin Charlebois, Taylor McElroy, Jessica Killian and Sierra Fischer. All but Fischer played on the team last year, and Charlebois was named All-state.

"We have an incredibly experienced team," Appleby said. "Nine of the 11 girls that will start for us have a least one year of experience with the team."

Injury Report

Plagued with leg problems

Missing for the second season in a row is sophomore Emily Stephens. She struggled with knee problems last fall and was unable to play soccer, but, despite not having surgery, was well enough by the winter to play basketball.

However, her injury has flared up again and she had to have knee surgery Aug. 17. She will serve as the team's manager, but will not be recovered in time to play this season.

"Losing Emily really took a shot to our midfield," Appleby said. "We have a lot of girls that are going to take over and fill in for her. Losing a player like Emily Stephens for two years in a row really hurts you."

During the opening minutes of the girls' first home game last year, junior Miranda Miller incurred a season-ending injury to her shin while trying to take the ball away from a goal tender.

Miller underwent surgery and eventually completed an extensive physical therapy regimen during the fall and winter months.

She was able to return to sports midway through the basketball season with some limitations. She spent the spring and summer playing select soccer and preparing to get back on the soccer field for the Valkyries.

"She's been able to play and has gotten over the first game jitters I think," Appleby said. "She seems like she is back to the old Miranda and calling for the ball again."

Solid Strengths

The teaming is looking to have a strong set of forwards in sophomore Kenna Hauns, Charlebois, Miller, McElroy and Paine. Paine will also be leading the defense, which is also an area the Vals have excelled in in the past.

Work in Progress

New to the net

For the third year in a row, the Vals are training a new goalkeeper. Appleby, who played at goalie when he was in high school, is trying to prevent from having to start over again next season with a fourth goalie by training two this year. He is working with Fischer and Dillon so the two can share responsibilities this year, and Dillon can maintain the post her junior and senior years as well.

"They are both going to be good on the field too so I am going to train them both so we can trade them in and out," Appleby said.

The Offseason

Good attendance

Appleby said he was surprised by how good of a turnout he had for open field times over the summer. Week after week he had several girls attend the non-mandatory practice times, and one day he even had 13 of his 14 players show up.

"I can see the difference in the girls that played this summer," Appleby said. "Those girls that came to the open fields and the ones that played in select soccer got a lot of great experience. We had a lot of girls that did that and it really shows."

Coach Talk

A step up

Appleby is planning to keep a general sense of familiarity for his team as they go into the season with their third coach in four years and he is having a great deal of help doing so. He has had some parents and former players stop by his practices to help him with the girls, which he has appreciated.

"I don't remember that happening in past years," Appleby said. "The parents and past players seem really interested in the upcoming season and that's great to see."

An extra Charlie

Serving as Appleby's assistant coach this season will be Charlie Ball. Although she has not coached soccer previously, Appleby selected her for her ability to work with the players and her familiarity with them as she is the freshman English teacher at Bigfork High School.

"I'm very excited to have Charlie as my assistant," Appleby said. "I know the kids all really like her and that makes a huge difference with the assistant. The assistant coach is the one you go talk to when you need something or if you're having problems with the head coach that's who you'll go to. I am glad to have a female around to help us through this year."

Ball played some soccer growing up, but focused more on swimming in high school. Appleby said that didn't affect his decision in seeking her out to be his assistant, though.

"She says that she isn't very good at soccer, but I think that matters a whole lot less than the personality that she brings to the team," Appleby said. "She is very positive and I think will do a great job of helping the girls this year. The only downside is that we're both Charlie. So we're working on what the girls will call us."

Goals for the

goal-getters

Ideally Appleby would like to see the girls make it into the state playoffs. They have a better chance of doing so this year than they did last year. Among the five teams in the Northwest A Conference, three advance to the state playoffs most years, with just two moving on every third year. Last year was such a year in which only two teams advanced.

"Our big goal is to make it to state. It's asking a lot, but it is our goal," Appleby said. "Last year was rough. We still finished fourth in the league last year, but they only took two teams to state. This year they're taking three though. We'll still have to beat out two other schools though, which is going to be tough because all of the teams in our league are really strong. It is our ultimate goal though."

Looking back

The Vals won just two games last season and had one tie. They lost their other nine games.

The Road Ahead

Coach's view

"I'm hearing a lot of good attitudes and these are really good kids," Appleby said of the upcoming season. "It's early, though, we'll see. We are getting steadily better every year and I hope that we can continue that trend. I really hope that we can give our seniors an opportunity to play at state."

Game time

The Vals have their first game of the season against long-time rival Columbia Falls on Tuesday, Aug. 31 on the road. The game will count as a conference game, as is often not the case for a team's inaugural game of the season.

Bigfork will host its first game next Friday, Sept. 3, when Laurel visits for a non-conference matchup.

"There is no easy game," Appleby said of their schedule. "There is no easy win on our schedule."

A new opponent

The Bigfork girls will have a new team to go up against this year. Stillwater Christian has formed a girls team that will travel with the boys team, which has been going up against the Bigfork boys for several years in non-conference play.