Team chemistry can cure a lot of problems, perhaps even the McQueen playoff jinx. At least that appeared to be the prevailing theme last week as the Carson girls soccer team completed its first workout following final cuts.
The Senators were remarkably upbeat despite having graduated six seniors, including speedster Kayla Sanchez, talented midfielder Amanda Osborne and lockdown defender Michelle Fleming, among others.
"We've got a lot of good players on the team," said junior center midfielder Brenda Luquin, who was part of last year's squad which finished 18-5-2 and suffered another first-round loss to the Lancers in the Northern 4A state championship. "Our speed is down a little, but we'll get it up. We have a lot of skilled players on the team. We should have no problem."
The Senators, who have 13 juniors and three seniors on their 20-player squad, appeared poised to make a run at the state title last year, but suffered somewhat of a meltdown as they neared postseason play.
"We had several key players who didn't play for disciplinary reasons," said sixth-year head coach Randy Roser. "We had internal problems. Those are gone " bottom line."
"We're communicating a lot better than last year," Luquin said. "We're not yelling at each other."
In fact, the only raised voice during the workout was an encouraging one from senior Brandi Vega, who scored 16 goals and added 15 assists last season. Vega, embracing her role as captain, urged on her teammates as they finished their wind sprints and led them on a final lap around their practice field at Carson High School.
"More of the younger girls are looking up to me as a senior," said Vega, the Sierra League's Offensive Player of the Year three years running and who verbally committed to Washington State in June. "If I walk, they walk; if I jog, they jog. I have to be the leader. Now I have to look out for the team, not just my own goals. If the team does good, I do good."
Forward Helain Berris and defender Lauren Schulz join Vega as the only other seniors on the team, which will face a league realignment and learn to adjust to playing on the new FieldTurf football field at Carson High School.
Reno, Wooster and North Valleys have moved to the High Desert League and Galena, Manogue and Fallon join Carson in the Sierra League.
"Our league will be a stronger one," said Roser, who added that he has no concerns with the new turf and field. "When they came and told us that it was a multiple-use field, we just asked that they give us the minimum standards of size (the field is 67 feet wide and 120 feet long) and quality. It figures into our style of play at Carson " with our style, we'll do well."
The Senators, who will play their first four games on their old grass field ("We'll be happy with that," Roser said), figure to strike quick before playing a possession game.
"We have a lot of talent," Vega said. "We're young, but we'll mature as we get into the second part of the season. We look pretty good, strong. We still have a lot of speed."
Luquin said the team is focused on starting out the season on a good note by winning the Galena Tournament, which begins on Friday.
"We want to get a lot of goals up early so we can settle down," Luquin said.
As far as that first-round McQueen playoff jinx?
"We'll get past that " definitely," Vega said. "Our goal is win league and as many games as we can and then win (state)."
Chemistry can be dicey or spicey: One can induce either a bad reaction or concoct a great potion. The Senators are hoping the volatility is behind them and that they've found a stable solution to take its place.