The Brave’s Varsity Soccer season started with a 1-0 loss against Issaquah, then followed it with a 2-0 win against Ingraham.

The Tuesday September 10, found the Braves at home in a fought a hard game. Mid-fielders senior Bernadette Kepler and sophomore Natalie Clouse played an especially aggressive game, and proved to be a great pair for the midfield.

In the second half though, a low shot came across the face of the goal against sophomore keeper Ella Powers, establishing an Issaquah lead the Braves could not overcome.

The loss did not take any determination away from the team though.

“Great work and shoots from the forwards and the new freshman defenders really held their own,” said senior keeper Emma Mulligan.

The second game found the Braves facing Ingraham on the road on Thursday September 12. The Braves won 2-0, with goals from junior Claire Koehler and sophomore Laura Beard. Kepler assisted on both goals from corner kicks. Mulligan, who played Keeper for the whole game, felt it was a great, very physical game.

“We worked out a lot of kinks in our formations,” said Mulligan.

The soccer team has a new coaching staff this year with head coach Raelynne Scott, and assistant coaches Kelsey Salle and Gigi Gallaudet, a former member of the Braves varsity soccer team. With the new coaching staff, has come more intense training.

“We have upped our training level a bit,” said Mulligan, “and we are glad to say that while it is hard the air is still full of laughter and because of these intense trainings the team has grown quite a bit.”

As far as the rest of the season, Mulligan feels the team is focused on getting to know each other and learning to play as a unit, but from seeing the progress already made by the team, she is confident that the team will be able to hold their own this season.

“I am excited for this season,” said Mulligan, “and I am excited to see where this new line of coaching takes our team.”