GSL soccer under way; playoff format expanded

Joe Everson Correspondent Correspondent Mike Boyle contributed to

The spring thaw seems to be under way, and so is the soccer season for five North Side Greater Spokane League teams.

Nonleague and league matches have commenced in the expanded GSL, which for soccer includes all 14 teams in one division, with six teams - up from five last season - qualifying for district playoffs.

Mead

Coach Travis Hanson has 12 returners from the Panther squad that finished fourth in league play and second in districts a year ago.

"We had a nice mix last year," he said. "And with the number of players we have returning, we'll be competitive."

Midfield play will be a Panther strength, particularly in the middle with seniors Adam Henkle and Ben Sawyer, both three-year lettermen. Mead's starting strikers are also seniors, three-year veteran Tyler Reddy and Garrett Brown.

Hanson has both goalkeepers back, junior Ryan Jordan and senior Chris Grafmiller. Juniors Mike Schmautz and Kevin Bourland will start at defender. Other returners are senior midfielder Shane Snediker, senior mid/defender Matt Charbonneau, junior defender Adam Toliver and senior defender Andrew Beaton.

Newcomers to the varsity are promising sophomore midfielder Mike Hoover and German exchange student Johannes Deck, another mid.

Hanson was reluctant to speculate where he thinks the Panthers will finish.

"For us to finish out of the playoffs would be a major disappointment," he said. "To win the GSL would be great. The reality is that we'll probably be somewhere in between."

Rogers

The Pirates, who last season won their first league match since 1993, had a large enough turnout that coach Chris Sande will field both a varsity and full JV this season.

"I'm hoping that we'll win five to seven matches this year and that we can transfer some of the nonleague success we've had to the GSL," he said.

He's got 11 varsity returners, including seniors Brent Birkland (midfield), Sinisha Kovacevic (forward), Sasha Kovacevic (midfield), Chris Barker (fullback), and Pablo Chavez (forward). Junior veterans include forward Deji Adebayo, midfielders Chad Primmer and True Xiong, and fullback Ryan Reisert. Sophomore mids Lich Pham and Ryan Havens were also on the varsity last year.

Sande's other varsity players are seniors Nurland Vvtandil (defense) and James Demasi (sweeper). Tenthgraders are midfielders Tony Brutski and Ways Ghulamson and fullback Davor Salkanovic, while forward Alex Coco and goalkeepers Daniel Joanis and Justin Erickson are ninth-graders.

The two frosh will split time in goal, with Erickson moving to forward when Joanis is in the lineup.

"Our diversity is our strength, I think," Sande says. "Look at our roster - it's like the United Nations! Our kids who've lived outside the United States before bring a lot of soccer experience. We've got a good group of kids and we're setting our hopes high this season."

Shadle Park

The Highlanders, fresh off their most successful season in several years, have 12 players back and hope to be in the hunt for a top- three finish.

Coach Matt Leonard lost two allGSL players but returns eight starters, a solid defense and a veteran goalkeeper who may keep the Highlanders in almost every game.

"I really think that balance will be our strength," he said. "It's tough to pick out one guy who will make or break it for us."

Keeper Nick Hagen is one of seven seniors back from last season and will back up a defense that includes seniors Charlie Libby, all- GSL performer Evan Mason and Anthony Bonanzino. Other senior returners are forwards Jared Mulvey and Jesse Anderson and midfielder Jimmy Trull.

Junior veterans are forward Ryan Heth and midfielders Cory McCoy and Nic Ozust. Midfielders Dallas McIntyre and Andy Largent are sophomores who logged lots of playing time last year. This year's freshman contributor figures to be defender Kyle Wirtz, who will start.

"Our defense is strong and Nick Hagen did a great job in the playoffs last season," Leonard said. "We have another guy, sophomore Willie Northcott, who will get some work behind Nick this year. We should be right in the mix."

North Central

NC coach Tim Cox figures that this will be a building year, with five freshmen on the varsity, several of whom will start.

"We've got some leadership from our junior class," he said, "but a lot of our talent is young. This is the youngest group I've ever had."

Starters will include captains Lamar Kumangai-McGee at sweeper and Jake Walker at marking back. Both are juniors, as are goalkeeper Drew Harding and midfielders Hani Elgiadi and Jeremy Yeado. Matt Stockinger, Nathan Law and Ryan Matern are freshman starters. Forward Josh Allen is the only starting senior, and sophomores Matt Patchin and Kris Higgins will round out the lineup.

Reserves include seniors Shawn Wright, John Panepinto, Randy Elkins, Jeff Beal, Tom Meloche and David Tracy, and freshmen Jamie Tamura and Greg Conley.

"We're holding onto hopes of making the playoffs," Cox said. "That's our No. 1 goal, but we realize it's an uphill battle."

Mt. Spokane

The Wildcats have seven returners, but "we're still pretty young," said coach Jeremy Ochse.

"We have some seniors, but the kids who will play the most are younger," he said. "Our youth will be our strength."

Seniors include sweeper Lance Beck, outside back Cameron Marks, center midfielder Matt Smith and forward Marty Dawood. Other vets are sophomore mids Adam VanNoy and Jordan Marshall and junior forward Lucas Boone.

Other contenders for starting spots include sophomores Jeff Srock (goalkeeper), Jeff Bofencamp (outside back) and Keith Kirsch (midfield/ forward); junior Jared Crabtree (forward); senior Scott O'Neil (stopper); and freshman mid Mike Hartnov. Also in the mix are juniors defenders Nick Nelson and Mike Maccini and seniors Cory Gaunt and Dan Biddle.

Ochse said last weekend's starters may not be next week's: "I'm going to look at all the kids who are going to get some time," he said. "We have so many new faces, and this is our first year with a core of kids who've continued to play club soccer. I am really pleased with this group."

Gonzaga Prep

Head coach: Christian Birrer

The Bullpups just missed out on a playoff spot last season, as they finished sixth in the GSL with a ninewin season. Birrer, in his 10th year at the helm at Prep, welcomes back six starters. Senior co- captains - midfielder Will French and keeper Joe Migliuri - hope to put Prep over the top this season.

"We're definitely shooting for a playoff spot," said Birrer. "That's a top priority."

Experience will help, and the Bullpups have that in abundance, as senior midfielders D.J. Avenell, Cameron Cubberley and Michael Smalley return. Joining them are senior forward Pradeep Hatcher and senior defenders Travis Patterson and Tony Portolesi, who will help keep the pressure off Migliuri in net.

"He just keeps you in the game," Birrer said. "Last year he saved us in a lot of games that with a lesser goalkeeper, we would have lost."

Gonzaga Prep will have question marks offensively though, as the Bullpups lost the GSL's leading scorer, John Buller, to graduation.

This sidebar appeared with the story:

GSL BOYS SOCCER ROSTERS

Mead

Chris Grafmiller, 12, G; Mike Schmautz, 11, MF/D; Ben Sawyer, 12, MF; Josh Morford, 11, MF/D; Nathan Winston, 12, F/MF; Shane Snediker, 12, MF/D; Johannes Deck, 12, MF/ F; Adam Henkle, 12, MF; Tyler Ready, 12, F; Mike Hoover, 10, MF; Kevin Bourland, 11, D/MF; Nick Bowman, 12, F; Garrett Brown, 12, F; Matt Charbonneau, 12, MF/ D; Adam Toliver, 11, D/MF; Ryan Jordan, 11, G/D; Andrew Beaton, 12, D.

Mt. Spokane

Cam Marks, 12, D; Cory Gaunt, 12, F; Jordan Marshall, 10, MF; Luc Boone, 11, MF/ F; Lance Beck, 12, D; Jared Crabtree, 11, F; Matt Smith, 12, MF; Dan Biddle, 12, MF; Nick Nelson, 11, D; Mike Maccini, 11, D; Marty Dawood, 12, F; Adam Vannoy, 10, MF; Mike Hartanov, 9, MF; Keith Kirsch, 10, F/MF; Alex Cusick, 11, MF; Jeff Srock, 10, G; Scott O'Neil, 12, D; Eric Bofencamp, 10, D

North Central

Josh Allan, 12, F/MF; Randy Elkins, 12, D/MF; Jeff Beal, 12, MF; Tom Meloche, 12, D; John Panepinto, 12, MF; David Tracy, 12, MF; Shawn Wright, 11, F/MF; Hani Elgiadi, 11, MF; Drew Harding, 11, G; Lamar Kumangai-McGee, 11, D; Jeremy Yeado, 11, MF; Jake Walker, 11, D/ F; Kris Higgins, 10, D/MF; Matt Patchin, 10, F; Greg Conley, 9, MF/ D; Nathan Law, 9, MF; Ryan Matern, 9, MF; Matt Stockinger, 9, D; Jamie Tamura, 9, D/F.

Rogers

Brent Birkland, 12, MF; Lich Pham, 10, MF; Davor Salkanovic, 10, D; True Xiong, 11, MF; Pablo Chavez, 12, F; Ryan Havens, 10, MF; Chad Tobias, 9, position n/a ; Ways Ghulamson, 10, MF; Nurlan Avantdil, 12, D; James DeMasi, 12, S; Justin Erickson, 9, G/F; Ryan Reisert, 11, D; Sasha Kovacevic, 12, MF; Michael Holloman, 9, position n/a; Chad Primmer, 11, MF; Sinisha Kovacevic, 12, F; Daniel Joanis, 9, G; Tony Brutski, 10, MF; Deji Adebayo, 11, F; Alex Coco, 9, F; Chris Barker, 12, D; Justin Roberts, 11, position n/a

Shadle Park

Nick Hagen, 12, G; Charlie Libby, 12, D; Ryan Heth, 11, F/MF; Jared Mulvey, 12, MF; Brent Baker, 10, MF; Jason Graham, 11, D; Evan Mason, 12, D; Andrew Spitzer, 11, MF/ F; Andy Largent, 10, MF/F; Jesse Anderson, 12, F/MF; Jimmy Trull, 12, MF; Nic Ozust, 11, MF; Dallas McIntyre, 10, MF; Cory McCoy, 11, MF; Kyle Wirtz, 9, D; Anthony Bonanzino, 12, D; Alex Mason, 10, MF; Ben Winterowd, 10, F; Ben Mjelde, 10, F/MF; Willie Northcott, 10, G.

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