Boys Soccer / Wesco AAA North Division -- Midfielders To Steal Show

Besides muddy players, swamped fields and the need for umbrellas, spectators can rely on one more thing in the Western AAA Conference's North Division boys soccer race: amazing midfielders.

From Everett to Sehome, the North Division has a slew of talented halfbacks whose playmaking skills could easily steal the spotlight from the league's top goal scorers.

Senior Luke Rust will dominate the Mount Vernon midfield. Rust, who has played soccer since he was 6, signed a letter of intent to play soccer for Stanford next fall after being recruited by more than a dozen Division I programs.

Oak Harbor's Doug Gliniak, Everett's Andrew Grossman, Sehome's Jericho Hartley and Josh Jones of Snohomish also will shine with their crafty passing and deceiving feints. Technically, each is very sound, with a strong tactical understanding of the game.

Rust and Gliniak were All-WesCo North Division first-team midfielders last season. Jones was selected as a forward.

Everett

Coach - Geoff Bennett, 17th season.

1996 record - 1-6-3 in league, 2-11-3 overall (sixth in North Division).

Returning starters - Jamie Sullivan, GK, sr.; Nick French, D, sr.; Chris Bailey, D, jr.; Mark Brokaw, D, jr.; Caleb Pulver, D, sr.; Andrew Grossman, M, jr.; Brian Larmore, M, sr.; Troy Townsend, M, sr.; Brian Harvey, M, sr.; Pat Pawlak, M, sr.; Tony Missall, F, sr.; Dayo Oyetuga, F, so.

Others to watch - Joel Hiatt, GK, sr.; John Brust, D, sr.; Pat Simmons, D, jr.

Outlook - Grossman is the spark plug in the midfield and runs a 4-4-2 attack. French, playing sweeper for his first full season, anchors the back line. Team defense has improved, and helps generate some offense. The Seagulls have suffered some tough losses early (1-0 to Shorecrest and 3-2 to Kamiak in sudden death). Consistent defense is key. Oyetuga earned All-WesCo North honorable mention as a freshman. French returns after missing last season because of a knee injury.

Marysville-Pilchuck

Coach - Kyle Suits, fifth season.

1996 record - 2-6-2 in league, 3-9-2 overall (fifth in North Division).

Returning starters - Josh Severson, D, sr.; Nate Lundberg, D, jr.; Jordan Mooring, D, sr.; Mike Doherty, F, sr.; Alex Olson, F, sr.

Others to watch - Ryan Hopp, M, fr.; Jesse Lee, GK, jr.

Outlook - Defense is the strength, as three backs return to anchor 4-3-3 system, but the Tomahawks are weak offensively and lack a true finisher. Must work to improve individual technical skill in every game. Despite losing their first six games, the Tomahawks have the talent to post a few wins this season. Lundberg guides team from sweeper position. Junior goalkeeper Mike O'Connor suffered a torn ligament in his thumb and probably will miss the season.

Mount Vernon

Coach - Darren Bell, fourth season.

1996 record - 8-2-0 in league, 14-5-3 overall (tied for first).

Returning starters - Luke Rust, M, sr.; Brian Paleck, M, sr.; Kevin Ashby, M, sr.; Jerimy Saldivar, M, sr.; Kyle Roozen, F, sr.; Riley Johnson, D, sr.; Mikkel Lamay, D, sr.

Others to watch - Vico Rust, F, fr.; Brandon Strobaugh, F, fr.; Brandon Roozen, GK, jr.; Brent Roozen, D, so.; Mike Tucker, D, jr.; Kevin Dahlstedt, D, so.

Outlook - Skillful returners and talented underclassmen make Mount Vernon one of the North Division's top contenders. Paleck and Luke Rust control what might be the best midfield in the division. The Bulldogs have gone with an offensively packed 2-4-4 in early games, with Johnson (stopper) and Lamay (sweeper) anchoring the defense. In goal, Brandon Roozen is a 6-foot-3 wall that is strong on the ground and in the air. Luke Rust and Johnson were All-WesCo first-team selections last season; Paleck and Lamay earned honorable mention. Mount Vernon won the Class AA state title in 1994. Bell has a 49-7-4 record over the past three seasons.

Oak Harbor

Coach - Travis Connell, third season.

1996 record - 8-2-0 in league, 10-7-0 overall (tied for first).

Returning starters - Tate Bare, GK, jr.; Zane Mays, D, sr.; Josh Berg, D, jr.; Chad Thompson, M, sr.; Adrian Mays, M, jr.; Doug Gliniak, M, sr.; Jeremy Rip, F, jr.; Zach Mays, F, sr.

Others to watch - Teo Benson, M, sr.

Outlook - The Mays brothers run the show for the Wildcats, who lost eight players to graduation. Zach Mays, the school's all-time leading scorer who had 28 goals entering the season, already has scored four goals and had four assists. Bare and Gliniak, who creates much of the team's offense and is among the top players in the league, were first-team All-WesCo North Division selections last season. Rip and Zach Mays form a lethal duo up front in 3-5-2 system. Offense is strength, but keeping opponents out of the net might be a weakness. Zane Mays, an All-WesCo honorable mention last season, controls the back line as sweeper. Connell played at Oak Harbor and Seattle Pacific University.

Sehome

Coach - Pete Frey, 13th season.

1996 record - 3-6-1 in league, 6-8-2 overall (fourth in North Division).

Returning starters - Kyle Dehnert, F, jr.; Sam Allard, F, sr.; Jared Fields, GK, sr.; ; Mark Lackey, D, jr.; Jericho Hartley, M, jr.; Whitney Zoller, M, jr.; Ali Taysi, D, jr.; Justin Deiner, D, jr.

Others to watch - Sam Allard, F, sr.; ; Dakotah Lane, M, jr.; Todd Coffman, M, jr.; Brian Mura, M, sr.; Trevor Walker, F, jr.

Outlook - Dehnert, who notched a hat trick in a 5-0 nonleague victory over Sedro-Woolley Saturday, is a scoring threat that is tough to contain. Lackey was a first-team All-WesCo North Division selection as a sophomore, and is the Mariners' defensive standout as a sweeper. Hartley, Lane and Zoller anchor the midfield. Team is strong throughout the middle of the field, and typically uses a 4-4-2 or 3-4-3 offense. The Mariners, competing in WesCo AAA for the second season, have the talent to improve on last season's record, but must find someone else to score other than Dehnert. Frey coached Mountlake Terrace to the state title in 1975.

Snohomish

Coach - George Fowler, third season.

1996 record - 5-5-0 in league, 10-6-0 overall (third in North Division).

Returning starters - Josh Jones, M, sr.; Matt Kessler, F/D, sr.; Ryan Kaikala, GK, sr.; Mike Yates, M, sr.; Matt Kendall, F, so.

Others to watch - Ben Freeburg, M, sr.

Outlook - Technically sound team that needs to keep the ball on the ground to be successful. Passing and individual footwork are strengths, but team is small and will struggle in the air. Panthers' 5-3-2 system allows outside midfielders (Yates and Freeburg) to tear up the flanks, and opens up the center of the field for defenders to penetrate on offensive runs. Jones, an All-WesCo first-team selection as a junior, starts for a third season and is the team's top playmaker and goal scorer. Kessler is a capable forward, but also a solid defender and solidifies the back line from the sweeper position. Kaikala is 6-1 and a solid presence in goal. Could have home-field advantage as Snohomish is the only team in the North Division with an artificial turf field. Watch the counterattack. Beat Oak Harbor 5-1 last week.

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WesCo AAA North boys soccer forecast

Predicted order of finish for the 1997 Western AAA Conference North Division boys soccer race, based on a survey of league coaches, with first-place votes in parentheses, ballot points (points on a 5-4-3-2-1 system) and 1996 record. Coaches were not allowed to vote for own team.

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Pts. 1996 .

. 1. Snohomish (3) 22 10-6-0 .

. 2. Oak Harbor (2) 20 10-7-0 .

. 3. Mount Vernon (1) 19 14-5-3 .

. 4. Sehome 15 6-8-2 .

. 5. Marysville-Pilchuck 7 3-9-2 .

. 6. Everett 7 2-11-3 .