After years without a girls soccer program, Tri-Cities Prep finally has a team to call its own.
Led by head coach Matt Potter, the newest girls soccer team in the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference (EWAC) has gathered players, community support and even a winning record to kick off their inaugural season.
The program’s beginnings were quite literal, with community members clearing sagebrush and planting grass before the team ever stepped onto the pitch.
“We were fortunate to have some folks clear the sagebrush out and plant grass last year and decided it was time to get going,” said Potter.
Potter is no stranger to Tri-Cities Prep. As a social studies teacher and the Dean of Students at Prep, he entered the program as a familiar face to players and their families. However, learning the league has been something Potter and his team have had to figure out together.
“I didn’t know the league very well. I still don’t. We’re still learning. And so it’s kind of exciting every day to see something new,” said Potter.
Center back Sophia Melendrez was one of the 21 players who wanted to be part of the new program. Melendrez had previously played at Richland, but chose to spend her senior season at Prep because she was drawn to the school’s close-knit community and the opportunity to help build something special.
Her decision also gave her the chance to share the pitch with her sister, who had never played soccer before.
“I’m honestly just really excited to get to play with the people I’ve gone to school with,” said Melendrez.
While a handful of those people have soccer experience, there are also many who joined the program with no experience at all. From four volunteer goalies who had never played the position before to seasoned players like Melendrez, the team brought together athletes with very different levels of soccer background.
“The unique thing about this program is some girls have not played at all. And so, it was going back and mixing those who have a lot of experience and are very, very good players with the ones who are learning,” said Potter.
For Potter, that mix has become one of the defining parts of the team. The experienced players have helped bring the newcomers along, while the entire group has had to return to the basics and learn together. Potter said the players have embraced that process, calling it “a blast.”
That excitement has shown throughout the season, with players experiencing firsts of their own. Ava Garcia, who had never touched a ball before joining the team, scored her first goal and then followed with a second in the same game. She’s not the only one to have a first this season, giving the team more to celebrate than just its record.
For Potter, those moments are part of what he hopes the players will carry with them beyond the pitch.
“It’s going to be hard and you’re going to come out here, you’re going to take chances, you’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to be strong, you’re going to be tough, you’re going to be aggressive,” said Potter.
Despite being a first-year program, the Jaguars have found success on the field. Now standing 8-1 overall, Prep has made an early mark in the EWAC.
With the community rallying around the new program, the team has also begun creating a culture that Melendrez hopes will last beyond her senior season. She described the team as a “sisterhood,” pointing to the fact that the girls see each other every day at school and have built their chemistry both on and off the field.
As one of the team’s two seniors, Melendrez has taken on a leadership role while looking ahead to the players who will carry the program forward. Genesis Mendoza Torres, Prep’s other senior, has also taken on a leadership role as the Jaguars establish the foundation for future seasons.
“I’m super excited to just start building it up and to build up the underclassmen so that they know that this is a good program and that we can continue building it,” said Melendrez.
The Jaguars’ next match is on Thursday, Oct. 8 in Burbank where they will face the Columbia Coyotes.