Coming off a conference championship and allowing zero goals in conference play, this season’s Chiawana girls soccer team has some big shoes to fill.
The reigning Mid-Columbia Conference champions are led by fourth-year head coach Sam Nunez, but this year’s Riverhawks are working with a younger roster after graduating several key players from last season’s title team. Chiawana is 5-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play after opening its MCC schedule with a 4-0 win over Walla Walla on Friday, Sept. 25.
Although last season’s success remains sweet, especially after sharing the title in 2023 and 2024, Chiawana’s goal goes beyond repeating that accomplishment.
“We want to build on that,” said Nunez on The Sports Council. “The league is nice and it’s something that we always want to do, but we want to continue to build on that postseason and build a strong legacy there.”
With key players from last year now graduated, the team is relying on younger faces and returning players to build that legacy this season. Players who didn’t have the chance to step up last season have now taken on bigger roles, while the newest additions to the roster are getting their first opportunity to make an impact.
“We got five freshmen in. It’s always a revolving door with high school sports. You lose some, but you always get some awesome ones…we’re proud of the group we got,” said Nunez.
Team captains Nicole Mills, Addisyn Bunger and Sawyer Chubb have been at the center of that transition this season. For Bunger, a junior defender, one of the most noticeable differences has been the way players throughout the roster have been able to contribute.
“One of our biggest strengths is our depth. We have a lot of players who even coming off the bench are so helpful for our team. No matter who’s on the pitch we are able to play together and fluently,” said Bunger.
The Riverhawks are not relying on one or two players to score all the goals or shag soccer balls during practice. This season, every player’s work ethic, attitude and talent on the pitch can make a difference in the team’s success. The team’s chemistry has also become one of its strengths, with players emphasizing how close they are both on and off the field.
“We all come out here and we’re so passionate about soccer and honestly in a friendship because I think we’re all really close and we’re all good friends,” said Mills. “I think you can look across the board from freshman to senior and see we all just like being around each other.”
The Riverhawks experienced one of their biggest setbacks of the season against their rival, Richland, on Tuesday, Sept. 22, when they fell 1-0 in a shootout. They also fell to state contenders Mead and Mt. Spokane earlier in the season, giving the team some tough tests before conference play began.
“We know what to expect with Richland. They’re always going to give us a tough test and we always have fun battles with them,” said Nunez. “We hate losing to those guys, but it’s part of the process of getting better with this new format…it makes us battle-tested, it makes us stronger.”
Looking ahead, Chiawana wants to use its new roster full of versatility and drive not just to bring home another MCC championship, but to continue to shape a team that can leave its own mark on the program.
“You should come out and watch some Riverhawk soccer because we love to win. We love to play together and I think we’re fun to watch because we have such good teamwork,” said Chubb.
Chiawana will play Sageview at home Tuesday, Sept. 29, looking to secure its second conference win.