The Lake Stevens girls’ soccer team gears up with energy and focus before kickoff under the Thursday night lights.

The pressure is on as the Lake Stevens girls’ soccer team prepares to defend its state championship title. The reigning 4A state champions are off to an undefeated start in their campaign.

With 10 seniors graduating last year, Lake Stevens’ chances of returning to the top will be a team effort.

“We certainly have what some would consider stars, but in truth, those aren’t the players that are making us win. It’s a collective effort. There have been a lot of people who have scored. A lot of people have done things, so I think you can have a lot of good players, but the key to success is having a good team,” Lake Stevens Head Coach Sam Ford said.

This Lake Stevens Girls Soccer Team ended the regular season with a record of 14-0-1 and are the undefeated 4A WESCO Champions for the second year in a row. They have high hopes for the upcoming playoffs, which started Saturday, Nov. 1. The Vikings begin their playoff run at home.

Every team needs players who are willing to lead. Without leadership, a team has no direction, no sense of what it means to be a part of a team. Oftentimes, captains are seen as the leaders of their team. This is true, but on Lake Stevens, so are their Goalkeepers, Defenders, Midfielders, and Attackers.

“I think everybody’s a leader. I think everybody plays a different part, and it’s hard to say one specific leader. I think everyone just is capable of leading,” senior Captain Tessa Anastasi said.

How does a team measure success? Some would argue that success is measured by knowledge, growth and relationships. The Lake Stevens Girls’ soccer team has mastered this way of success.

“I think the key to success for this team is having a strong bond off the field. Our last year’s team we were all so connected and had really good friendships off the field. And I think if we can do that this year and have a good relationship with each other, it would help with our success,” senior Keira Tupua said.

A team can have all the pieces of the puzzle, but if they don’t work together to put the pieces in the right places, the image won’t be complete.

“I think as the years went on, and especially this year, we get along outside of just soccer, and get along very well,” Anastasi said.

The Lake Stevens girls’ soccer team huddles up —united before taking on the Bruins of Cascade.

In sports, reaching a goal is never easy. Whether someone suffers an injury or struggles mentally, there are always obstacles to overcome. This is no different for the Lake Stevens Girls Soccer Team,

“Some struggles that we had were some girls on the team now weren’t going to show up, or we didn’t know if they were, and I think some of the newer players that we have received kind of had that worry of filling in such big shoes because of our seniors that graduated last year,” Tupua said.

Although this team has faced adversity, they continue to dominate. This can be attributed to the sisterhood they have built or the coaching staff. Another key contributor can be the love of the game, the will to win.

“A coach can only take a team so far, and I think it comes to a point where they’ve been trained and taught everything that they need to know about soccer, and then it just comes down to a hunger that can’t be taught,” Ford said.