Hired in January, the first thing Grays Harbor College women’s soccer head coach Chris Schumacher did was start recruiting. He’s been on the recruiting trail ever since, not including mounds of paperwork, logistics and running his two businesses in Elma.
Thus, the Grays Harbor College women’s soccer program was born.
On Tuesday, the Chokers will take the field at Starfire Complex in Tukwila at the season-opening NWAC Friendlies. Thirteen players will suit up for the Chokers in their inaugural match.
GHC’s first home match at Stewart Field will be at noon on Sept. 9 against Green River College. The majority of the Chokers’ matches will be played on Fridays and Saturdays and all of the home matches will start at noon.
“But are friendlies really friendlies?” Schumacher asked rhetorically. “It has been an ongoing process to get everything up and running. It is a lot of work, but we’ll get to the good part — playing the games — soon enough. We’ve been welcomed with open arms here on the Harbor. More people are hearing about us and the interest is growing.”
The last time GHC fielded a soccer program was in 2001, when the men’s program folded after a 2-16-2 record and 10 losing seasons. This is the first GHC women’s soccer team and it’ll be stocked full of Twin Harbors players in blue and white.
“The education and the quality of the school we play for is important,” said Schumacher, who coached the Elma High School girls varsity soccer team for seven seasons prior to joining the Chokers. “I want to bring in good talent, both locally and regionally. I want to be able to showcase the girls to give them the chance to move on to four-year schools to play soccer and get a good education. That’s a great reputation to have.”
Montesano’s Alyx Miller and Hoquiam’s Jesina Alvarenga are two of the three all-Evergreen 1A all-league players to join the squad this season. Miller, a midfielder, and Alvarenga, a goalkeeper, were both first-team selections in 2013.
Hoquiam’s Kayla Hilliard, who will also play softball for the Chokers in the spring, was a second-team all-league pick in 2013 as a midfielder. Lindsay Leonard will join Alvarenga and Hilliard on the team as well.
Aberdeen has three players on the roster — defender/midfielder Jill Hardy, defender/midfielder Kaylee Nguyen and midfielder Moriah Martin — with Johana Esparza representing Lake Quinault, which doesn’t field a high school soccer team.
Eatonville’s Kaitlyn Roebuck and three Las Vegas-based players — goalkeeper Elena Duenas and midfielder/forwards Elvia Duenas and Reina Alonzo — round out the roster.
“There’s a lot of talent here, but we will be short on substitutes,” Schumacher said. “We’re going to create as many scoring opportunities as possible. We all need to work together to get this going.”
The veteran high school and youth head coach noted that he’ll be learning the style of play in the NWAC as the season progresses. He emphasized that the team will be fast-paced, physical and loaded with scoring potential regardless.
During the pre-season workouts, the team has been working with a physical fitness trainer at the YMCA of Grays Harbor to help them survive the rigors of a 90-minute match and a compact 10-week, 20-match season.
Even as a first-year program, Schumacher hasn’t dampened his confidence or expectations for this season.
“We’ll fly under the radar, just like how I like it,” Schumacher said. “We’re going to have a good season.”
The squad is still open to accepting walk-on players. Any players who are enrolled at GHC who are interested in turning out, you can contact Schumacher at cschumacher@ghc.edu.
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