SANDPOINT — 2020 was full of firsts and strange occurrences. Seeing the Sandpoint girls soccer team miss out on state for the first time since 2012 was near the top of that list.

The program is accustomed to contending for a state title every season, so not even getting a chance to defend their 2019 crown was a tough pill for the Bulldogs to swallow.

Watching Moscow lift the 4A Region 1 trophy hurt head coach Conor Baranski and the entire team. It was a feeling the Bulldogs weren’t used to and they didn’t like it one bit.

As disappointing as last season was, senior Erin Eddy believes that setback could be exactly what the program needed. A defeat like that provides the ultimate motivation to come back even stronger, she said.

“I think this setback is going to be a blessing because we’re going to work so much harder now,” she said.

Senior Piper Frank shared a similar sentiment and said missing out on the postseason allowed the team to reflect and hit the reset button.

“I definitely think everybody expected [to win] and nobody thought we were going to lose,” she said. “This year everyone is going to be more competitive knowing that we don’t just get a free pass to go to state.”

A young, pesky Moscow team caught the Bulldogs by surprise last year and Baranski doesn’t expect the Bears to go done without a fight this fall either. Moscow lost its head coach, but Baranski is ready for a challenge and he hopes his team embraces it.

“They are tough and gritty and now they believe they can beat us,” he said.

The Bulldogs return plenty of experience from last year’s squad. Eddy and Frank are part of a class of 10 seniors that also includes Kylie Williams, Kate McGregor, Ashlee Webster, Kalila Tuinstra, Teylor Hehn, Sierrah VanGesen, Averie Brewer and Ava Mazzilli.

VanGesen, Brewer and Mazzilli are all transfers, but Baranski is looking for them to have an impact right away.

“We have a lot of new faces,” Baranski said.

Defending league Newcomer of the Year Kimbo Yarnell is back in the midfield, but Sandpoint has some key holes to fill. Multi-time all-league and all-state goalkeeper Hattie Larson is now playing golf and soccer at Carroll College and striker Jordie Breeden, who scored eight goals and earned first team all-state honors two straight years, is gone.

Junior Kameryn Nadeja, who made her first career start last year, and freshman Lilliana Brinkmeier, the daughter of assistant coach Alan Brinkmeier, are expected to split time in net to start the season. In terms of goal scoring, Baranski sees VanGesen and Brewer making some noise on attack along with some other returners, but he’d love to have a group of players rise up and fill the back of the net.

“Obviously, it’s a lot easier to stop one player from scoring than it is to stop a whole bunch,” he said.

Frank is looking to step up and fill some of that goal scoring punch. She earned all-state honors in 2019 and 2020 and tallied six goals and six assists last fall.

As a midfielder, Frank enjoys setting up her teammates for goals, but she wants to improve her willingness to shoot when she has a clean look at the net. She showed an ability to step into the forward position and be dangerous last year as well.

Frank will certainly be in the running for league MVP honors this fall and Baranski said he can already tell her fitness level has improved significantly. He said she’ll refuse to fade late in games.

“I know she’s motivated to play in college so hopefully that brings her up even another level than where she’s been before,” he said.

This spring, Frank decided to join the track team to try something different and work on her speed for soccer. She ended up medaling at the 4A state track meet by placing sixth in the pole vault.

Frank has been a silent leader on the pitch throughout her career, but she wants to be more vocal in her final season and raise the spirits of her teammates.

Eddy and Williams are looking to do the same. Last season, losses resulted in a lot of negative energy around the program and they want to create a culture that is supportive and consistently encouraging others regardless of the result.

“I think positive reassurance is so important,” Eddy said. “If you’re in a positive environment, I feel like everybody works so much better, and I feel like I personally can take more control in making sure that happens.”

Baranski said he can already feel that positive atmosphere percolating through the team. He said he remembers talking to this senior class last spring about the impact they could have on the program through their kindness and leadership and he’s glad to see they are doing just that.

Sandpoint will also need to find a way to fill a major hole on the backline this season. Junior Kelsey Cessna, who earned all-league honors as a sophomore and freshman, tore her ACL this past December on the basketball team and is still recovering from the injury. Baranski said her presence on the field will be missed, but she will still be on the bench giving tactical pointers to the defenders. She will basically be like an assistant coach.

Speaking of assistant coaches, Baranski will have Madi Schoening on his staff this season. Schoening wrapped up her basketball career at the University of Montana this spring and was a part of a pair of state title teams during her time as a SHS soccer player. Former Bulldog and state champion Sierra Scott is the junior varsity coach this season as well.

Baranski said this is the first time he’s had any of his alums come back and coach, and he’s really excited to have two people who believe in the core values of the program.

Last season, Eddy was all over the field. She spent time on defense, in the midfield, on the wing and at forward. Her favorite spot is the midfield, but she really doesn’t care where Baranski puts her.

“I just like to be on the field,” she said. “I honestly don’t even mind where I am anymore because I just like to be out there.”

Williams will continue to be a threat at left winger this season, and she said she really enjoys the freedom that comes with the position.

“I like that fact that I can drop back and help my defense if they need it,” she said.

Baranski typically utilizes a 4-3-3 formation and will likely start the season with that look, but he said he is willing to bend his lineup and formation based on the strengths of his team.

The first few weeks of the season are something Baranski always enjoys because he gets to move players around and find out where they best fit on the pitch. He said it’s like a game of chess.

With the combined 5A-4A Inland Empire League returning this fall, Baranski would like to see his team at the top of the league by the end of the season, but the main focus is to start another state appearance streak.

Eddy believes the Bulldogs can overcome all the question marks they have and get back to state due to the chemistry of the senior class. She said she’s been playing soccer with Frank and Williams since she was about 4 years old and has built a close bond with them on and off the pitch.

Williams said they can basically find each other on the field without any communication.

“We’ve played together for so long,” Williams said, “and growing up with a team that’s played together for so long, you just know how most people play.”

Erin isn’t worried about getting any accolades for her play this fall, she just wants to have fun and see where that takes her and the team.

“I have played soccer my whole life because I love and it makes me so happy,” she said, “and I want to make sure I keep that because sometimes as the season gets harder you can lose sight of that, but I never want to forget because I think it’s what makes me play better.”

The Bulldogs open the season at 4:30 p.m. today at Lake City. Their home opener is set for Saturday, Aug. 28 against Lewiston at War Memorial Field.