Before the season started, Issaquah head soccer coach Jason Lichtenberger wasn’t sure what to expect.

He had just a just three full-time starters returning, and a handful of unknowns.

So far, so good for the sixth-year coach. The Eagles, who begin KingCo 4A action this week, are undefeated at 3-0-2 in non-league games.

“We have some guys who have just grown tremendously as players,” Lichtenberger said. “We’ve exceeded my expectations in terms of the potential I see out there.”

Issaquah returns two huge assets in its leading scorer from last season, senior Michael Roberts, and explosive sophomore forward Alex Shane, who already has five goals.

The Eagles also bring back senior goalkeeper Nathan King and senior defender Cory Jenneskens, a veteran player who started at the end of last season.

“At each position we’ve got players that really know how to play those positions well,” Lichtenberger said.

Issaquah will also depend on youth and inexperience, relying on several players who didn’t start or were on junior varsity last season.

Seniors Chris Baer, James Garcia and Taylor Wyman  —  a first-year high-school soccer player  —  will anchor the defense along with Jenneskens.

The midfield is filled by a talented group that Lichtenberger labels a strength.

“We really move the ball well as a team,” he said. “Offensively, we’ve got a lot of guys who like to possess the ball and make good decisions and move it quickly.”

Senior Tyler Bask, juniors Akash Ramachandran and Drew Tacher, sophomore Zach Lawless and freshman Ryan Higgins make up the group, along with Roberts.

The front will be filled by Shane, senior Nick Smith and sophomore Cooper Fry.

The Eagles are also receiving some help from faces of the past. Current University of Washington freshman Quinn Grishman and Whitman College freshman Junpei Tsuji frequently return to help their former teammates train.

“I tell those guys when you’re in college there’s a lot better things to do than come out here every day, but these guys come out here and they like to be involved and they like to see these guys succeed,” Lichtenberger said.

“We had that really strong year two years ago and last year we thought it was going to be our year. To them, they want to see it all the way through. They want to see these guys get to state and get the job done this time around.”