Lady Braves soccer team big on enthusiasm

Christian Warman is rarely at a loss for words but the veteran La Conner High School girls’ soccer coach says he cannot say enough about the players on this year’s roster.

“I could say something about all of them,” he told the Weekly News during one of the team’s preseason workouts Aug. 25. “Our numbers are small, we have a lot of players who are young and inexperienced, but they bring a lot of energy.”

There might be times this fall when La Conner is forced to play what Warman calls “Ironman Soccer” with few or no subs to call upon, yet that does not faze either him or his players.

“They’ve got a fair amount of heart,” Warman said. “They’re fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for more.”

The team faces a conference schedule featuring traditional NW2B/1B powers Friday Harbor and Coupeville, whose programs have longer rosters, often with players who compete off-season at the club level.

The Lady Braves will counter with senior co-captains Raegan Lee and Emily Smith and returnees Lydia Grossglass, Baylee Smith and Kendall Lee. All have the potential to be impact players, said Warman.

Younger students include Yamileth Ocampo Contreras, who according to Warman “looks very promising.”

The La Conner mentor anticipates his club will rely on its ability to thwart foes looking to score in transition or off set plays.

“We expect to play to our strength, which is defense,” Warman said. “That’s not to say we won’t break out of that when those opportunities present themselves.”

La Conner’s September slate features home dates with Friday Harbor on Sept. 22 and Coupeville on Sept. 29. On Sept. 20, they will visit Mount Vernon Christian.

Warman said the Lady Braves full schedule is still under construction. The team is tentatively set for non-league road trips at Kamiak on Sept. 8 and Nooksack Valley on Sept. 20.

Though the schedule is somewhat in flux, of one thing Warman is quite certain. His team will come to play regardless of who is on the opposite sideline.

“We’ve got a lot of character,” he said. “We have some solid X-factor players who when they get in a groove will be able to turn some heads, that’s for sure.”