Boys' soccer team boasts speed on offense this season

Defense was its calling card a year ago.

This season the La Conner High School boys' soccer team is counting on its best defense being a strong offense.

"We'll be more focused on attacking," head coach Galen McKnight told the Weekly News Friday afternoon as his club wrapped up its first week of preseason workouts.

"Last year we played a lot of close matches, with 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2-type scores," he said. "I think we can build on that but also play more aggressively on offense."

One reason for the change in philosophy is the return from injury of standout player Christian Fix.

Fix, a deft passer and shot maker, was sidelined much of the past two seasons with knee injuries. Now he appears fully recovered and ready to rejoin a roster that boasts versatility with players who can perform on both ends of the pitch or even slide into goal if necessary.

"Before, we had several puzzles that we had to fit pieces into," said assistant coach Joel Hingston. "Now we just need to fit pieces into a single puzzle."

As an example, McKnight and Hingston could insert Cody Suit as the team's keeper, freeing regular goalie Tyler Cicotte (a starting forward on the basketball team) to run the field.

McKnight and Hingston can count track athletes Simon Bouwens, Flint Huizenga and Maxwell Page among the team's leaders. Kale Navarrete-Higgins and baseball starter Hadden Zimmerman also join a solid nucleus of players the La Conner coaches will count on to be difference makers.

Freshman Colin Wigal, another track recruit, is one of the program's underclassmen making a positive impression.

Eighteen boys are vying for quality minutes in a season that opens at 5 p.m. Thursday at home against non-league opponent Auburn Adventist, a member of the Sea-Tac 2B/1B loop.

The Braves then visit Cro ss­point Academy at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 10 in Bremerton for a non-­conference clash.

"With 18 players," McKnight said, "we have good numbers, good depth.

That bodes well for a campaign that will extend into November.

As always, McKnight expects the NW2B/1B schedule to be one of the toughest across the state's small school soccer ranks. Traditional league and state powers Orcas Island, Mount Vernon Christian and Friday Harbor figure to be solid once again, McKnight said.