Whitefish boys soccer looks ahead to potentially historic season

How could another state title not be on the minds of the Whitefish boys soccer team this season? But there’s a lot of soccer to be played from now until the playoffs.

Head Coach John Lacey told the Pilot recently that it is definitely a goal to be playing late into the playoffs this season though.

“At this point, these boys want to play deep in October; they’re used to that and frankly have the kind of team that they should be thinking about that,” Lacey said.

After becoming repeat State A champions for the third time in a row last season, this year’s seniors only know one way of playing — state championship worthy soccer.

Last year Whitefish scored 64 goals throughout the season while only allowing five on their way to a 13-0-1 undefeated record.

There are 10 seniors on the team this season and most of them have won a title every year they’ve played high school soccer. But according to head coach John Lacey, playing high quality soccer is just the expectation of the program at this point.

“We continue to be very committed to how we want to play, and that starts with all of us training here on the practice ground and showing up in our JV games and varsity games,” he says. “It passes on and hopefully builds. That’s the goal from the moment we get out here we all look the same, all 36 boys.”

Building this program has been years in the making according to the coach, and much of it depends on the upperclassmen each year taking the time and effort to help the freshmen and sophomores develop as players. This constant building and improving is important to the Whitefish program.

“It’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to have some success these last couple of years, guys before have shown us how to be and we’re continuing it,” Lacey said. “I think guys this year are ready to really embrace that; there’s the possibility of this being historic and I think they want to go.”

Despite graduating several seniors last year, the senior class stepping on the field this fall is prepared to take the lead. With the attack led by seniors Gabe Menicke, Chase Sabin and Aaron Dicks, the Bulldogs are ready to continue on right where they left off last season.

“It’s going to be fun to see how, in particular, Gabe and Chase and Aaron step up and really own this moment because they’ve worked a long time for it and played a lot of soccer to get here,” Lacey said.

In the back they have another senior studded lineup with Darby McCarthy, Willem Gray and Niko Hunter on defense, and senior goalkeeper Will Peppmeier between the posts. Menicke, Dicks, Peppmeier and Hunter will represent the team as senior captains.

Whitefish boys soccer will face Frenchtown on Saturday at Smith Fields in Whitefish beginning at 11 a.m.