Over a dozen sports teams will play this spring season, including boys soccer and lacrosse. But according to many spring players, their games draw very few spectators. Junior soccer team captain Ty Dixey said that only family members and friends really ever come to games. Despite this, his team is well-known for its good performances and eager players.
“We’ve been very strong, historically,” Dixey said about his team. “We have high expectations for ourselves. If we’re not performing very well, then we feel like we’re doing something wrong.”
Many students tried out for the team this year, including Dixey’s younger brother. Dixey and his teammates speak very highly of their team’s performance, as well as their matches and soccer in general.
“I would say it’s like an art form,” sophomore midfielder Lunden Fenster. “It’s like an empty canvas…it could be a chill game. It could be an exciting game. Never know what to expect.” Fenster added that students showing up to games boosts player morale and makes for an an entertaining night.
Dixey said that he thinks his team will start out strong, but that the middle of the season might be where it gets difficult.
“So, maybe a dip, but hopefully we can all come together. You know, push the adversary at the end, come out strong and hopefully make it through state. Maybe win. Who knows? It’d be fun,” Dixey said.
He said that the soccer team would love it if more people were to come to their games. “We’ve seen Woodinville have a couple of supporters out there one time,” said Dixey. “And it was very noticeable when you got people coming to your game. So if we get more people coming out, it’d be amazing.”
The same goes for the lacrosse team, a sport that is steadily growing but still has usually small crowds.
“It’s going to be the families, and it’s going to be the close friends of the players. [That] is probably the majority of it,” said coach Bernie Duerr. “You might have like, the girlfriends of players, that type of thing.”
“Last season, there was probably four or five people,” said junior lacrosse player Ross Nichols. Nichols has been playing since third grade and is now on the varsity lacrosse team. “But we’re trying to build up more people to start coming.”
Nichols explained that the lacrosse and baseball teams have joined forces to support each other this season. The two teams will attend each other’s respective games as long as there is no scheduling conflict.
“We’re trying to build up more people to start coming,” said Nichols. Nichols said that home games usually bring more excitement and attention to their games as well.
“When we played home games last year, we played a lot better,” said Nichols. “At senior night last year we had a lot of people come and the overall energy of the atmosphere was more fun, more happy, just a lot more to prove when people are watching.”
He said he hopes to win a lot of games, and that they will be a good team this year.
“We’re going to be a good team this year. We’ll win games and have a lot of fun,” said Nichols.
According to the team, the excitement and anticipation is high for the upcoming season. The Athletics page of Inglemoor’s website has schedules for all the teams, as well as ticket and location information. Lacrosse and soccer teams play at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell this year. Students who bring their ASB cards to home events will receive free admission.
