At the junior college level, where players spend at most two years in a program, bonds can be fleeting.
But the connections run deep for the Clark College women’s soccer team that opens the Northwest Athletic Conference playoffs on Wednesday by hosting Treasure Valley.
Most of the players on the Penguins roster are from Southwest Washington. Many of them have known each other for years.
“We’ve all grown up around here,” noted sophomore Megan Fox. “We’ve all played against each other. I think that makes us a stronger team, because we have friendships as well.”
That unity on and off the field is a key reason the Penguins went unbeaten in South Division play (9-0-3, 12-1-4 overall), according to senior forward Brooke Kates from Ridgefield.
Two draws left the Penguins one point short of a division title, so now their focus is on making a playoff run.
Second-year Clark head coach Sean Janson believes local players should be the backbone of his program every season.
“I feel with a junior college, it represents the community,” Janson said. “I wanted the soccer team to reflect the talent that we have here in Clark County.”
An example is forward Brenna Bogle. The sophomore who played at Skyview High School is the Penguins’ top scorer for the second year in a row. But, unlike last season when she accounted for more than half of Clark’s goals, Bogle’s 17 goals are only one-fourth of the Penguins 67 goals.
“A lot of teams have one dynamic forward they have to rely on. We have a variety of players who can score goals.”
Fifteen players have recorded goals this season. Second in goals is Ellie Quercia from Aberdeen, who has 13 goals and 12 assists. Quercia is one of 20 freshmen on the roster. Janson said the six sophomores have been heavily relied upon both on and off the field.
One of them is Columbia River graduate Maddie Reynolds. After spending her freshman year at Grand Canyon University, Reynolds came home. She said Grand Canyon “wasn’t the right fit.”
After talking with friends Bogle and Fox about what was happening at Clark, Reynolds decided to get in on the fun.
“Coming back to this level from Division I has given me a lot of confidence on the field,” said Reynolds, who has seven goals and seven assists. “And I’ve improved a lot because I’ve gotten a lot of playing time and played with people I’ve played with in the past.”
Fox, a midfielder from Ridgefield, noted that she and Reynolds were first teammates when they were 8.
“When you have a connection with somebody on the field it makes a world of difference,” Fox said.
“You know their style, you know what they’re going to do before they do it.”
Fox said she knew this would be a special season when she saw all of talented freshmen that Janson and assistant coach Kat Tarr recruited.
“We all were nervous for our spot. We had to work from the start to get a starting spot,” Fox said. “And we knew we were going to be a special team.”
