Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com- Reaghan Langer, right, is one of several talented sophomores back for Ferndale this season.
By Ray Hamill — With the H-DNL girls soccer schedule changing this year, the Ferndale Wildcats will play more games against the smaller schools and have the opportunity to compete for a Little 3 championship.
A young Cats team is off to an 0-2 start, having played a much-improved McKinleyville team twice in the preseason, but head coach Beth Anderson likes a lot of what she’s seen from her players so far.
“It’s a very athletic group,” the head coach said. “And I think they’re committed to improving and working hard.”
This year’s roster will feature around 15 players, many of whom are new to the game, although the Cats do have a solid group of returning players to help lead the challenge.
Senior captains Gabriella Riley and Malela Fulton will line up in center midfield and are both expected to play a major role for the team.
“Both of them are really strong players,” the head coach said. “They’ve got a lot of knowledge of the game and they both play hard and physical.”
A talented group of sophomores also is expected to make a big contribution, including defenders Regan Russ and Clara Christiansen and striker Reaghan Langer, each of whom enjoyed a strong freshman campaign in the spring.
“They’re strong young players who played hard last year,” Anderson said. “And we’re looking for them to improve.”
Another sophomore, Miriam Munoz-Guerrero should help provide some spark offensively with her playmaking ability, while senior goalkeeper Bella Stephens is one of the best at her position in the H-DNL.
McKinleyville head coach Adam Canepa had high praise for Stephens after their early-season matchups.
“She was making saves she had no business making,” Canepa said. “She was fun to watch.”
Anderson also believes Stephens will have a big senior year after a breakout campaign in the spring, which was her first-ever playing the position.
“She’s one of the best goalies I’ve ever seen in Humboldt County,” the long-time local coach said.
This year’s league schedule features four games each between the Little 3 teams, who will play most of the bigger schools just once.
The Cats will open their Little 3 campaign at home to St. Bernard’s on Friday.
“We just have to do some tightening up in our understanding of the game,” Anderson said. “It’ll come.”
The coach already is seeing improvement from her players, who had a stronger showing against Mack this past Monday than they did in their opener two weeks prior.
“They’re showing improvement for sure,” she said. “They know we have things to work on and they have a positive attitude about that. And they are supportive of each other.”
Friday’s game is set for 5 p.m.
