King's soccer team a success in 1st year

[rainbowgirl28]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/h ... cer17.html

Prep Soccer | First-year team is an instant hit
By John Boyle
Special to The Seattle Times
King's High School has always had a strong tradition in athletics, so a team making a postseason run wouldn't normally be big news for the Shoreline school.

But the girls soccer team's trip to the Class 1A/2B/1B state semifinals is something special.

King's didn't have a girls soccer team last season. The Knights (17-5), in their first year in the sport, play Seattle Christian (14-2-2) at 4 p.m. today at Curtis High School, with a chance to advance to the state-title game.

"I'm very surprised by this," said King's sophomore midfielder Kendal Thoreson, who has 15 goals and 17 assists. "I knew we had good players, but I didn't think we'd do this well."

Coach Nicole Gabelein played for Cascade High School of Everett while attending King's, when the school didn't field a team. She tries not to think of her team as a start-up program.

"We're just a team doing our best to play good soccer and go as far as we can."

Gabelein's team starts six freshmen, but does not lack players with high-school experience. While attending King's, seniors Arianna Olsen and Laura Peterson had played for Shorecrest and Inglemoor. Senior Laura Gifford and junior Lauren Thompson played for Meadowdale.

Because so many players had formed bonds with other high-school teams, the news last spring of a soccer team at King's wasn't met with much enthusiasm.

"To be honest, I was kind of upset when I heard about it," said Gifford, who has 10 goals and 15 assists. "I'd spent three years in one program and was excited for my senior year there. But now, I'm so glad we have a team. As time has gone on, this has been a dream year."