Prep boys soccer season begins.
Below is the storyline as the local teams take to the pitch and find their form in the coming weeks.
Will Edmonds-Woodway be able to maintain Wesco's dominance despite the graduation of half the team?
The Warriors finished third in the district in 2022 and advanced to the state round of 16. Edmonds-Woodway carried that momentum into the 2023 season, setting a new school record. The team not only repeated its third-place finish in the district, but also became Wesco 3A/2A League Champions, a feat not accomplished in 20 years, finishing fourth at state and advancing to the Final Four for the second time since 1990. I accomplished it. .
Last season, first-year head coach Jason Hanson led his team to an overall record of 18-3-2 and finished the regular season with a 14-0-1 record. Midfielder Ben Hanson had 13 goals and 16 assists, helping earn him All-Wesco Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Edmonds-Woodway, which will be without Ben Hanson and six other graduate All-Wesco first-team players, is counting on 10 returning varsity players this season. Defender/forward Richard Duncan, who had 11 goals and five assists last season, forward Andrew Montero (six goals, one assist), midfielder Anand Raghu (five goals, three assists) and defender Kincaid Sund. (3 goals, 1 assist). midfielder/forward Alex Plumis (2 goals, 4 assists);
Edmonds-Woodway is currently 2-0-0 overall and 1-0-0 in league play.
Can Archbishop Murphy find success again in the postseason?
Archbishop Murphy's Gabe Herrera, 10, slides to knock the ball away from Ben Hanson of Edmonds vs. Woodway during a March 28, 2023, game in Edmonds. (Annie Barker/Herald)
For more than 20 years, the Wildcats boys soccer program has made a name for itself in Snohomish County and throughout the state.
Archbishop Murphy has been a four-time state champion since 2000. Three of those times he was in Class 2A and once he was in B/1A. Murphy was runner-up in 2006, fourth in 2009, third in 2012, and appeared in the round of 16 and quarterfinals in other tournaments. Long story short, the school competed in the state tournament every year from 2009 to 2018.
Excluding 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, Murphy did not qualify for the state tournament in 2019 and 2022, but advanced to the Round of 16 in 2023. .
Since 2010, the Wildcats have won five district championships, placed runner-up twice and placed third three times.
Murphy will enter this season with an experienced team as only two of the 11 starters from last year's playoff team graduated. Head coach Mike Bartley said the majority of his team's goals last year were scored by several players, not just one or two, which shows the program's scoring depth. Told.
Murphy opened the season on March 14 with a 2-1 win over Marysville Getchell.
Which team poses the biggest threat to Shoreline schools?
Shorewood's Isaac Abraham competes for the ball during a game against Ballard on May 18, 2023 in Shoreline. (Olivia Vanni/Herald)
It is accurate that Shorecrest and Shorewood are solid competitors in Wesco 3A/2A and within the state.
Shorecrest finished second in the district in 2022, but Shorewood lost in the repechage game. Shorecrest then advanced to the state round of 16 that same year. In 2023, the tables were reversed, with Shorewood taking first place in the district and Shorecrest taking fifth place. Both teams advanced to the second round of state last season.
There are two other programs besides Edmonds-Woodway that could wreak havoc on Shoreline schools: Monroe and Mountlake Terrace.
Monroe was an All-Wesco selection last year, and second-team defender Gavin Nolan is one of eight seniors returning to the Bearcats. Monroe defeated Shorewood in the 2022 district tournament to take third place and also took third place in the state. The Bearcats finished third in the district again in 2023, but lost in the opener at state.
Mountlake Terrace did not advance to districts in 2022, but had a respectable showing in 2023. The Hawks defeated Marysville Pilchuck in the quarterfinals and upset Shorecrest, then lost to Monroe in the penalty shootout and Shorecrest in the winner, falling just short of a state berth. -Interstate, no loser match for 5th place.
Shorecrest, Shorewood, Monroe and Mountlake Terrace all currently hold league records of 1-0-0.
Does the Wesco 4A boys team have the postseason stamina to match Kingco’s District 2 strength?
Jackson's Ian Friedrichsen (center left) celebrates a goal with teammates against Bothell on May 11, 2023 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni/Herald)
Glacier Peak, Jackson, Kamiak, Lake Stevens and Mariner have brought out the best in each other in Wesco 4A for many years. Although a spot in the state tournament was not guaranteed, there was a good chance of advancing.
When Wesco and Kingco merged in 2019 to create the 4A bi-district tournament, the road to state became difficult for Wesco teams. Wesco's 4A programs have dealt with postseason struggles since Jackson finished first and Mariner fifth in the 2019 Wesco 4A district tournament.
Kamiak finished fifth, becoming the only Wesco 4A representative to advance to state from the 2022 bi-district tournament. That season, the Knights advanced to the quarterfinals. No Wesco 4A team has qualified for four states in 2023, and Kamiak's win over Redmond in 2022 is the Wesco team's first win over a Kingcoe team in 12 games spanning the past two district tournaments. It is the only victory.
Jackson was the winningest team in the district last year, but lost in double overtime in the winner-versus-state, loser match for third place. This season, Jackson returns All-Wesco first-team midfielder Archie Dima, second-team forward Jayden Ogudah, and midfielders Brady McPherson and Ander Lisaso-Lakabe.
Glacier Peak returns seven starters and 16 varsity players. Lake Stevens released a young team last season and returns 10 players, including a strong sophomore group, four of whom were starters.
Despite past results, Glacier Peak opened the season with wins over Kingco teams Bothell and North Creek, and Camic defeated Redmond and tied with Bothell, all leading up to the bi-district tournament later this year. gives a hint as to what will happen.
3A and 2A will have one less state berth, and 4A will have one more state berth.
4A schools in Districts 1 and 2 have five state berths, one more than last year, giving Wesco's 4A teams a great chance to make it through the tough 2-district tournament. .
District 1 3A schools have four state spots, one less than last season. Will regulars Edmonds-Woodway, Monroe, Shorecrest and Shorewood fill that slot?
District 1 only has two state housing for 2A schools, one fewer than last year, making the district journey even more difficult for locals Archbishop Murphy, Cedarcrest and Lakewood.
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