When the horn sounded on Issaquah’s 4-0 loss to Todd Beamer to finish the 2011 girls soccer season, the Eagles knew it meant there would be no prolonged run through the state tournament or a fourth state title. They knew it brought an unceremonious end to a season that carried a great deal of promise.
But for a number of juniors on the team, including conference player of the year Audrey Thomas, they knew it also meant senior year was all they had left.
“Once we got knocked out, pretty much all of us realized it,” Thomas said. “It was tough working so hard to make it to the state tournament and having just a flat game.”
While the finality of the loss stung for players and coaches alike, it also provided all the motivation necessary for a focused offseason. Issaquah is already 6-0-0 this year with wins over 2011 3A state runner-up Liberty and Oregon state champion Tualatin.
Head coach Tom Bunnell said a deep senior class that includes 10 players and a better understanding of what it takes to contend for conference and state championships have been key for the early development of the team. He and senior captain Morgan Zack also said this is one of the closest teams either can remember being part of.
“We’ve all been looking forward to this so much,” Zack said. “We all love each other and everyone translates that into working harder.”
The return of the invitational tournament, which was put on hiatus for the past two years because of a scheduling conflict with the Oregon schools, also acted as a reassuring pat on the back, as the Eagles remained unbeaten even against top level competition.
“That Tualatin team is as good as you will see,” Bunnell said. “It was very good for us. It helped us believe we are a decent team.”
Many around the state and even country believe the Eagles are much more than decent, including the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, which recently tabbed Issaquah at sixth among all prep squads in the country and the top team in Region 6, which includes Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho and New Mexico. Bunnell said he has addressed the notion of outside expectations with his players, and the Eagles themselves said while it is an honor to be considered among the best, it means little without the matching effort on the field.
“They respect every team they play,” Bunnell said, adding that many of the players in the conference are familiar with one another from years of playing together or against one another on select teams. “You can lose a game on any night in this league.”
Issaquah learned that first hand when it fell 4-3 to Woodinville. Bunnell’s squad will not meet rival Skyline, which is ranked ninth in Region VI by the NSCAA, until the final game of the season on Oct. 23.
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