COEUR d'ALENE - That first season, they took more lumps than freshmen should be used to on a soccer field.

Bad attitudes and bad team chemistry on the field led to disappointing results on the field for the Lake City High boys soccer team.

Now seniors, Mason Sanchez, Daniel Teichmann, Alec Johnson, Evan Teichmann and T.J. Merwin are looking to notch a third straight state 5A tournament appearance, while leaving the program in better shape than when they entered it in 2009.

"It wasn't pretty at all," recalled Sanchez, four-year starter and current center/midfielder for the Timberwolves. "None of the seniors that year really cared at all. There was some senior leadership, but they weren't putting in the effort."

As Johnson, a center back/midfielder, recalls, things changed after that 5-7-2 season.

"It really came down to a lot of kids putting in the work," Johnson said. "Our freshman year was not fun at all. By our sophomore year, it just seemed like the kids that were on JV wanted to play varsity - and it made things more fun at practice."

The program started its run to back-to-back state tournaments - playing in the semifinals in 2010 before eventually finishing fourth in Idaho Falls.

"Winning the first game at state as sophomores and giving Borah a game to get to the championship game are one of my favorite memories here," Sanchez said.

Lake City finished sixth at state last season.

"In the last four years, I think everyone on the team realized that after a bad year, we've got to pick it up," Evan Teichmann said. "We started putting more effort into each game and practice. It actually turned out to be fun."

"Alec, Mason and I have been together since first grade," Merwin said. "And we met the (Teichmann) twins in middle school. There's a chemistry between us on the field and it's kind of like playing with your brothers. Even the class below us, we've bonded over the last three years. The first two years, to have gone to state. To have a chance to go to state three times in four years with the same group - you can't explain it."

For twin brothers Daniel and Evan, who played the same right back position as freshmen - it was even more difficult to get on the field.

"(Coach) Chad (Beadell) always had us compete against each other at practice to see who will start the next game," Daniel said. "It's fun, but kind of frustrating because either I could be having a bad day or he could have a bad day."

Neither Teichmann has had a bad day in the classroom at Lake City, with both tied with a 4.9 grade point average as co-valedictorians.

"It's a lot of reading and hard work," Daniel said. "There are times I feel like I get home from soccer practice and don't want to do my homework. But I've put three years into it, so I'll just keep busting the books."

Both plan on attending either Stanford or the University of Washington.

"My dream school is Stanford," Evan said. "We've got a special connection and have all the same classes and are on the field at the same time. It's just something that keeps us together. We have a special thing out there and it's fun to get to play with him and this group of guys."

The competition level at practices has also increased over the past three years.

"Everyone's here to work," Johnson said. "But we've always had fun doing it. Someone might be having a rough day, but someone will crack a joke and relieve the tension."

Both Sanchez and Johnson play club soccer on the Idaho Thunder under-17 team, which was the national club runner-up in 2011 and qualified for nationals this season.

"It's been a lot of fun," said Johnson of playing club soccer. "We've gotten to do tons of great stuff. Going to nationals and winning regionals was big for us. It's been an exciting couple of years."

"It's definitely been awesome going to nationals the past two years," Sanchez said. "I loved going to Washington, D.C., and Chicago. It's been lots of fun to travel."

Should they make a third straight trip to the state tournament, travel won't be an issue if they win a regional championship as the boys and girls tournaments are scheduled for Coeur d'Alene, Lake City and Post Falls.

This year's runner-up travels to Middleton High for a play-in game against a school from the Boise area - some 20 miles from Middleton.

"It's going to take a complete group effort," Sanchez said. "We've got the talent to do it, but just have to put the effort together."

"We need to get into that mindset," Johnson said. "The season started out kind of rough, but we're pulling it together. I think we're going to have to keep working together and getting better at practice each day."

"It would be kind of disappointing," Evan said.

When the season does end, only Sanchez and Merwin are considering playing at the next level at this point.

"I've talked to Washington and Gonzaga a little bit," Sanchez said. "When I go to Surf (club tournament in San Diego in November), I'll be emailing JUCOs and Division III schools also."

Merwin has drawn interest from Cal Poly and St. Louis.

"It would really make it easy to get into college," Merwin said. "And I'd get to keep doing what I enjoy. I enjoy coming out to play, especially with this group of guys - even if it's 100-degree weather and we're running sprints. If that's what it is, I enjoy doing that with them and I wouldn't trade it for any other team."

"The year these guys came in, we'd graduated 14 seniors from the previous season," Beadell said. "They've started 95 percent of the games they've played and have had a bit more to handle than most, but they've stuck it out and really done a great job."

Lake City (4-4-0), which fell to 1-2 in the 5A Inland Empire League after a loss to Post Falls on Saturday, will play six matches in the next 12 days to conclude the regular season before regionals start on Oct. 3.

"It's definitely going to take 100 percent focus by everyone on the field for a full 80 minutes," Daniel said.

"If we put things together, we should be able to make a run at districts or state," Sanchez said.