Roseburg High School Girls Soccer Team Opens Up Season At Finlay Field Tonight
Sports make their return to Roseburg as the girls’ soccer teams at Roseburg high kick off their season tonight. The Indians play at home at Finlay field at 6 p.m. against Ashland. Tonight's game can be seen live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1BLpOC-CYw&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=1490TheScore Fans will not be allowed to attend home games to start the season. After a long layoff and postponement of the fall season, it affected the turnout of the girl's soccer team. “Many of our girls got tired of waiting to see if we were going to ever have an actual season and went and got jobs,” RHS girls soccer coach Kristin Parks said. “I completely understand their position, but it has significantly impacted our teams. We were looking to have over 40 players trying out this year had we started up in the fall like normal. However, after the COVID impact plus several injuries we are fielding a team of 18 girls.” The Indians only have three returning starters from the 2019 team that went 2-12. There are nine players who have never stepped on a varsity field before. The Indians have two seniors, five juniors, four sophomores, and seven freshmen. The captains are Camille Dela Cruz, Maryn Wicks, and Madasyn Van Acker. The Indians started daily practices just a week ago. “A week is not a very long time to get a team ready that has never played together before and to get them conditioned,” Parks said. “However, we have made the best of a crazy year and the girls are excited to play. Ashland has a very strong program. Our younger girls are both excited and nervous. I am looking forward to watching our progress over this season. We have some players that are very competitive and they are pushing each other daily at practice.” The Indians will play a nine-game schedule playing Ashland, Crater, and South Medford twice and one game against Grants Pass, Eagle Point, and North Medford. “The past year has been a nightmare for these kids,” Parks said. “They don't care that it's cold and rainy most days, they are just happy to be playing and spending time together with their teammates. I am so grateful that we are going to get some games in. These girls need to be playing and burning off the past 12 months of everything that wasn't supposed to happen during their high school years.” “We will definitely have our work cut out for us, but I believe these girls are up to it. They are eager to learn and understand the game at a higher level. That is every coach’s dream.”