EPHRATA – Following a “struggled” 2021 season, the Ephrata girls soccer team returns to the pitch in 2022 as a closer-knit unit, according to head coach Gary Klepec.

The Tigers opened the 2022 campaign with a 6-0 home win over Cascade (Leavenworth), with three goals scored in each half.

“We struggled last year, so we’ve got some ground to make up – this is a great way to start,” Klepec said after the team’s season-opening 6-0 win.

Since the season ended last October, Klepec said the team has been working together through scrimmages and open gyms.

“We work pretty much year-round,” Klepec said. “We have a bit of the winter that we take off, and there’s still open gyms that some of the girls end up coming to. In summer, we were clear through summer – you can start working with the girls as soon as Memorial Day, and even before school’s out we start working with them.”

Scrimmages hosted during mid-summer brought the Ephrata community into the action, playing with the players currently on the team.

“In July it’s summer soccer, girls just come and scrimmage,” Klepec said. “It allows our alumni to come back because we open it up to the alumni that have either played with us or just adults in general.”

Throughout off-season workouts, Klepec said he’s noticed a changed mentality with the team when compared to the 2021 season.

“Being positive with one another, and coming together as a team” Klepec said of what the team has changed since a season ago. “There were times where there were teams that we should have beat, and just felt like we weren’t playing as a unit. There were multiple reasons for that, but just never really realized how to play as a unit.”

Now, playing as a unit, the 2022 Tigers have a chance to leave last year’s record in the past.

“Already this year, you can tell these girls are close, they’re a unit,” Klepec said. “I just suspect that will continue on.”

Ball movement was successful in the season-opening match, and the shutout performance by goalie Alivia Helaas catching the eye of Klepec.

“We’re moving the ball really well, we’re moving off the ball in order to find the passes,” Klepec said of the shutout win. “Defensively, we’re playing really well. We’ve got a couple girls gone that will usually be on the field, that’ll make us even stronger.”

Beginning the season with an offensive performance like the one on Saturday can be a momentum setter for the Tigers, as six of their next seven games come against teams with winning records in 2021.

“It’s incredible,” Klepec said of the tone-setting win. “Love it mostly for the girls – not for me, it’s for the girls. To get them started, get them together as a unit, just playing well and enjoying themselves.”

After the season-opening win, the Tigers traveled to Okanogan to face the Bulldogs on Sept. 6. Ephrata returns home to face Cashmere on Sept. 8.

“Playing good soccer, and continuing what we started (on Saturday),” Klepec said of what he looks forward to the rest of the season.

Roster

3 Aliya Avila, Junior MID

6 Katrina Berrett, Senior DEF

1 Karissa Cleveringa, Junior DEF

8 Leslie Sanchez Guerrera, Junior DEF

2 Kadence Hector, Sophomore FWD

00 Alivia Helaas, Senior GK

12 Delanie Killinger, Freshman FWD

17 Addina Knudsen, Senior MID

4 Kendall Laugen, Junior MID

5 Trishelle Lopez, Junior MID

9 Lila Rainey, Freshman MID

15 Alessa Soto, Junior MID

11 Mari Spencer, Senior MID

14 Anahi Vargas, Senior DEF

Schedule

Sept. 3 - vs Cascade (Leavenworth) - 6-0 Win

Sept. 6 - @ Okanogan - 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 8 - vs Cashmere - 6 p.m.

Sept. 10 - @ Royal - 1 p.m.

Sept. 13 - vs Grandview - 6 p.m.

Sept. 15 - @ Selah - 6 p.m.

Sept. 20 - vs Othello - 6 p.m.

Sept. 24 - @ East Valley (Yakima) - 12 p.m.

Sept. 27 - vs Prosser - 6 p.m.

Sept. 29 - @ Ellensburg - 4 p.m.

Oct. 1 - @ Grandview - 12 p.m.

Oct. 6 - vs Selah - 6 p.m.

Oct. 8 - @ Othello - 12 p.m.

Oct. 13 - vs East Valley (Yakima) - 6 p.m.

Oct. 18 - @ Prosser - 6 p.m.

Oct. 20 - vs Ellensburg - 6 p.m.