SHS sports preview: Boys soccer tennis

2015 record in league, overall: 8-4-0, fourth place, 9-6-2 overall;   0-1 in postseason

Head coach: Dave Brasher (20th year)

Returning players: Christian Benson (sr.), Cameron Chase (sr.), Lane Danielson (jr.), Blake Eriks (sr.), Liam Harris (so.), Hayden James (sr.), Evan James (so.), Patrick McCrorie (jr.), J.T. McElhose (sr.), Konnor Parrish (jr.), Josiah Urquia (so.), Austin Wagner (sr.), Thomas Winfield (sr.)

Newcomerss: Robert Beeson (so.), Mathew Craig (so.), Nick Janikic (so.)

Key league competition: North Kitsap, Kingston, Port Angeles

With their Kitsap County foes in their sights, Sequim’s Wolves are looking to go on the offensive in 2016.

Seniors Cameron Chase and Thomas Winfield lead a healthy corps of scorers looking to improve on Sequim’s fourth-place finish in the Olympic League last season.

In 2015, Sequim struggled early on before reeling off a 7-2-1 mark to close the season, finishing tied for third with Port Angeles. For the second consecutive season, Sequim finished just behind Olympic League powers North Kitsap and Kingston, going 8-4 in league play. White River ended the Wolves’ campaign with a 2-1 decision in a West Central District tourney play-in game.

Seven seniors from that 9-6-2 Sequim squad are gone, including all-league first team midfielder Eli Berg and key role players Will Bittner, Kyle Harrison, Jerry Bryan and Adrian Espinoza.

But Sequim brings back a number of solid starters, including Chase — an all-league second team midfielder/forward — and Winfield, both of whom tied for the team lead with seven goals.

“If (the pair) gel as a pair and stay healthy, they could score plenty of goals,” Sequim head coach Dave Brasher says. “They should be fun if they get good service.”

Winfield said he and Chase have played striker together since their days on the Storm King squad in middle school.

“We should be able to score a lot of goals this season and have a very successful offense,” he said.

Also back is junior Patrick McCrorie, who tallied two goals and seven assists last season, and Liam Harris, who had four goals and three assists as a freshman in 2015.

The Sequim coach notes that a crop of sophomores in Harris, James, Josiah Urquia and newcomer Mathew Craig could be “dynamite.”

The Wolves get plenty of experience tending goal in senior Austin Wagner, a fourth-year varsity starter backed by sophomore Nick Janikic.

“This team has consistent quality throughout,” Brasher says.

The Sequim coach notes North Kitsap will likely be the top squad in the league once again in 2016, with Kingston, Klahowya and a resurgent Port Angeles being among Sequim’s tougher tests.

Winfield feels they’ll go for the top spot.

“With this team, we should be shooting for the league title,” he said. “There’s going to be some hard games but there’s no one we shouldn’t be able to beat.”

The Wolves open the season Thursday, March 17, against Klahowya, and their first home game is set for 12:45 p.m. Saturday, March 26, against Port Angeles.