EVERETT — Sometimes a team just has to get to state to kick off a program’s continual improvement.
That’s exactly what the Vikings’ girls soccer team’s done.
It’s been a decade since the Vikes set foot on the fields at state. In 1998, they advanced to the semi-finals, and this year North made it to the first round of state playoff action.
Although it was a quick one-touch on the state-laiden fields — the Everett High School Seagulls knocked the Vikes out of state play with a 7-1 victory handed down Tuesday evening at Everett — the Vikes garnished an invaluable education from the experience.
Head coach Dee Taylor said North didn’t face a team all season that played with a pace or skill level equal to the Seagulls. As a result, North never gained its footing nor was it able to react to the Seagull’s pace.
“(State) was a learning experience for us because the intensity and physical play are at a higher notch and we need to be ready to play that game from the beginning whistle and we weren’t ready. I take responsibility for that,” Taylor said. “When I say it was an education I mean it because sometime you have to get there before you know what it’s like.”
Taylor said throughout the season North had a habit of sitting back the first few minutes of the game to read what their opponents might bring, and then reacting and turning on the Vikings game.
Against the Seagulls North tried this, but it was too late and Everett scored three goals within the first 13 minutes. Taylor doesn’t know if the final outcome was a result of nerves, but he does know it wasn’t a matter of Everett being six goals better than the Vikings.
“We had opportunities throughout the game, but we could never maintain a consistent attack. We just weren’t ready to respond to the quickness they brought,” Taylor said. “The game was disappointing because we all know we’re better than we showed and you hate to go out wishing you could have done better.”
The Vikings season-ending game wasn’t without a few highlights.
At minute 28 junior Siara Byers passed to freshman Delanee Nilles who was at the top of the box and Nilles hit the far post shot. Taylor said Nilles really played her heart out and tried to settle things on the field. He also had rounds of praise for the Byers sisters, Siara and senior Sydney, “who really stepped up.” He said Siara, despite being injured and spending the past few days in physical therapy, played gusty and with intensity.
Just like the balance of the opposites, negative endings can produce positive beginnings, and the pages of this story will now unfold for Vikings’ girls soccer.
Taylor said this year’s squad “set the bar” by reintroducing NK girls soccer to the state competition. It was a goal all season to do so, they did it, and now Taylor knows he needs to raise the training intensity and keep pushing the bar higher for the program to continue improving.
“From here on out it is our expectation as a minimum to get to the state playoffs, and now it’s up to the younger players to keep setting the bar higher,” Taylor said. “The youth in this program have the ability to raise the bar. This team set it and we’ve got the ability next year to raise it.”
