LANGLEY — Let’s hear it for the Soccer Shockers, a group of Langley Middle School girl soccer fanatics who had the temerity to think they could beat the vaunted North Whidbey Academy team. They did.
The U-14 girls Select Soccer team had two teams playing in the recent Rock On Tournament at Oak Harbor — one team took first, the other third. Headed into the semi-finals, both Soccer Shocker teams were seeded in first and second place. Shockers 2 lost to a tough North Whidbey Academy team that went on to face Shockers 1 in the finals.
But Team 1 overcame the opposition in a hard fought battle by tying the game with three minutes to go on a well-placed shot from Madison Tisa-McFee and winning with a shot from Jessica Manca with one minute left.
“Both teams played very well and the girls looking forward to the Select soccer season ahead,” coach Sonya Simmons said.
The Shocker 1 team players are Brianna Haimes, Manca, Britany Wood, Cortney Fredrikson and Tisa-McFee.
Shockers 2 came in third place in the division. The players are Amanda Lutsock, Justina Mackie-Timmerman, Molly Rawls, Emily Houck, Paige Farmer and Sarah Young.
The girls original select team name sounded a little dry, so they adopted the Shocker moniker.
“We started playing three years ago and thought that name would work,” said Makenzie Peterson.
Unfortunately for local soccer fans, the team plays most of their games on the mainland. But there are pluses for the players.
“I like to travel and having all my friends on the team,” Rawls said. “We play hard while having fun.”
And it it helps they’re all good friends. “They back each other up on the field,” Coach Simmons said.
Also playing in the tournament representing South Whidbey Youth Soccer was the U-12 boys team who were bracketed in the same division as three tough teams from North Whidbey Soccer Academy. The boys did not make it to the finals but played very well in each of their close games. The U-12 boys are Calvin Shimada, Jack Frey, Trey Adams, Jake Sladkey, Tyler Russel and Jonathon Peterson.
