The Fidalgo Lightning soccer team, coached by Laurie Sherman, had another terrific season. The team played well at the state Special Olympics tournament May 30-June 1 in Fort Lewis.

Even though there was only one substitute player, they maintained a strong offensive force.

Skyler Poor put his heart and soul into the game and commanded from the back. He regularly took the ball down the field, dodging opponents with his ball-handling skills and took shots from all angles, eventually scoring one goal.

Rhena Necco, definitely the most improved player of the year, was key on defense. Not only did she chase down opponents and foil their attempts to score, but she frequently blocked hard shots with her body.

Shelley Longacre, a star again this year, used her brains to outsmart her opponents and tirelessly created plays with clever passes to attain two goals.
Anthony Gegan put the ball in the net for two goals, to get the team into the next bracket of play.

Chad Lapine drove the ball at the net and fired several rocket shots, but was unable to score.

Daniel Sipe, the glue that held the team together, sacrificed his body countless times, pouncing on shots made by opponents crashing the goal.

The team fought hard, but got knocked out in the third game.

This year they were fortunate to have two talented high school players, Samantha Olsen and John Sherman. Both coached throughout the season, and thanks to them, the team was able to stand against the odds and hold their own against teams of much greater size and number.

The team learned new strategies, plays and moves and gained depth, thanks to the dedicated assistance of the coaches. The team looks forward to their return next year when both plan to become certified Special Olympic coaches.

The team is recruiting more athletes for the soccer team. Call Sherman at 293-2984 if you are interested in participating next year.