By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Not too many seasons ago -- two, to be exact -- Seattle Christan Schools made it a long ways in boys soccer, having gone to the championship game of the 1A WIAA Dairy Farmers Of Washington state tournament for high school play.

"We played Lake Chelan, and they played soccer at a really high level," said Trent Siedenburg, a Warriors' senior captain. "We let in a couple early goals; they had a guy who could dribble and score really well, they had a good team. They played a really high level of soccer. They deserved it."

Final score was in favor of Lake Chelan, 3-1.

SCS, in that 1A title game two seasons ago, went into it, undefeated, according to Siedenburg. But, the team, last year, followed up that stellar campaign with a much lesser mark of 10-7-1, overall, with no return trip to state.

So, what's in store for this season, with a Warriors' team that is very young, with only two seniors that played, that helped them, in a 4-1 loss to host, Foster, in non-league preseason action on Wednesday?
"I think we can be a notch better than last year, but we're young," said David Peters, the Warriors' head coach.

"I think, we could be a very good team," said Siedenburg. "We could be very dangerous."

Some on vacation, a player injured, reasons the Warriors were not full strength going into the game against the Bulldogs, in this preseason, non-league encounter.

In classifications terms, it was a 1A school, the Warriors, from the Nisqually League going against a 2A Seamount League team, the Bulldogs. Not only does that put the Warriors at a disadvantage, but the Bulldogs won the 2A Seamount title last season. And, on top of that, the Bulldogs return nearly everyone from that team that made it to state, which means the Bulldogs were one of the top 2A teams in Washington.

So, not too bad a thing to say if one can say the Warriors grabbed opening momentum in that loss to the Bulldogs. And, the Warriors did just that, as, Warriors' senior Nathan Dadalto threw the ball in from the right sideline, all the way into the middle of the goal, where Trent Siedenburg was waiting as the ball bounced in front of him.

"Nathan threw it over one of the Foster player's heads and I had my back to the goal, and I did a kind of bicycle kick over the keeper's head," said Siedenburg.

"Nate is becoming good at doing throw-ins like that," said Peters.

Siedenburg used the words "kind of," for his goal description because of the bicycle kick part. Siedenburg did not really go off the ground, much, if any amount, on that bicycle-kick shot, but that was a sweet-looking shot to watch for the 100-200 Warriors' fans in the bleachers, not to mention, a lot of Foster supporters watching.

And, when Siedenburg explained the bicycle kick was one where he didn't jump much, his coach, Peters, standing nearby, said in jest funny words, but, truthful, as it turned out.

"A flat-tire bicycle, kick," commented Peters, looking at Siedenburg.

"Yeah," said Siedenburg, as both mildly chuckled at that picturesque way of describing the kick that Pele, the Brazilian soccer star, made famous in the 1970s for that country's national soccer team. And, later, in the late '70's, early 80s in North America, Pele 'bicycled' nicely to United States, and Canada audiences by playing professional soccer on the New York Cosmos of the NASL.

"It went in, and that's what counts," said Peters of Siedenburg's bicycle-shot, kick, which, technically, is where a player flings one's body into the air, backside to the ground, facing, with, first, scissoring one leg forward, in a kicking motion. That is the non-kicking foot, then the leg that is going to kick the ball sweeps in to boot it almost over one's air-suspended, body -- in the 180-degree, complete opposite direction. Usually, not always, a bicycle kick is taken on goal.

It was a nice shot, in a roundabout way, finding the net, curling over the Bulldogs' keeper's head as he dove into the net to try and stop the kick. Unfortunately for the Warriors, the Bulldogs found the net four times after Siedenburg's s offense to start the game, for the home team's three-goal difference win.
But, it was a nice start to the game for the Warriors, playing against a more experienced, higher classification team -- a game to draw experience from, and, hopefully, more than that, too, like confidence.

"It was a good step up to see how a really fast team plays," said Peters. "They (Foster) have eight or nine seniors on their team, and we have two seniors. But it's always a good experience to be in a game like that."

The Warriors, in fact, had the ball on the Bulldogs' side of the field, four minutes later, still, leading, 1-0, threatening with passes of the ball around the 18-yard-box perimeter with players like sophomores' Cole Williams, and junior Luke Edvalds, helping support that threat. And, then, sophomore Bradley Poerio, with the ball inside the six-yard box nearly scored, kicking the ball toward the left side, near post area of the goal, but a defender stuck his foot and body in the way, blocking the shot.

The Bulldogs quickly scored after that, getting a goal, a minute later, on a fast-developing counterattack that transitioned from the Warrirors' ball in their 18-yard-box area to going all the way the other direction for a Bulldogs' score.

But, the beginning, first, few, minutes of the game for the Warriors proved they could nearly go up two goals on a strong Bulldogs team of returning players who made it to state last season and have aspirations to win it all this season.

Also, the Warriors' goalkeeper, Andrew Gesell, did have four balls get by him, but the Bulldogs took 30 shots in the game.

"It was a lot," said Gesell, a junior on the Warriors who did a nice job, shouting out commands to defenders, like junior captain Payton Gunhus, in the center back area, and Dadalto, the only other senior out on the field, besides, Siedenburg and Brendan Merdich.

Gesell, a junior, made at least three or four really nice saves of those strikes by Foster, hard at him or to the side of him.

"He got bombarded," said Peters.

Gesell made saves of guys coming in one-on-one a time or two, as well as swat saves, one, from a close-range blast punched nicely, over the crossbar, and some, from coming-out-of-goal style stops, too.

"He made some nice saves," said Peters.

Of the Warriors' team, and, though, it's with really young character, with four freshman, nine sophomores, three juniors and two seniors on the roster, Peters explained things in good terms for what's there.
"Young, but working very hard," said Peters.

That's what Siedenburg said, too, echoing his coach's comments perfectly.

"I love our work ethic," said Siedenburg. "In games and practices we are running as hard as we can. And our team camaraderie is going to help us as the season progresses."

Peters mentioned that the team's success, although, not mentioning where this season could end up record-wise this year, did say where the season success will start.

"Trent has great character," said Peters. "He's easily a key piece on the team. Captain, senior. Hard working. Positive."

Siedenburg wasn't shy, asked about his coach, Peters.

"I love how he lives his lifestyle," said Siedenburg. "He wants to be a part of our lives, and encourages us, pushes us in practice. And, he always wants us to play for our Lord and Savior."