Lady Pirates aim for growth, unity in 2025 season

The Polson girls soccer team enters the 2025 season with an influx of new talent that has coaches excited about the future of the program. Head coach Heather Howell said the Lady Pirates are focused on raising the standard each year while continuing to build a program rooted in growth and consistency.

“As coaches, our goal is to raise the bar every season with this team,” Howell said. “We have high expectations for these girls and hope to improve on last year’s performance while showing continued player/team growth, as well as consistency. We are very excited about our senior leadership and the position they are in to help set the bar high for our incoming players!”

One of the biggest positives for Polson heading into the fall is the size and makeup of its roster.

“We had a better than expected turnout this season, which is very exciting for the growth of our program,” Howell said. “We have 13 incoming players this year, as well as a strong returning core. Seeing this kind of growth and an increase in our roster size will allow us to increase the competition level this season for the entire team.”

That combination of returners and fresh faces has the coaching staff optimistic about the Lady Pirates’ depth and ability to push one another in practice and on game days.

Howell noted that with so many new players, one of the team’s most significant hurdles will be learning to play together as a single unit.

“The biggest challenge for our team this year will be merging as one unit,” Howell said. “We have two teams coming together for the first time, so learning to play with new teammates and growing as a single unit will be our biggest obstacle this year. Both teams are coming off of very strong spring seasons and had rosters filled with talent, so the potential these players have in coming together is also their biggest strength.”

The challenge, Howell added, also creates an opportunity for the program to find new chemistry and reach a higher level of performance than before.

The Lady Pirates know they will be tested in the Northwest A conference, where rivalries and talent run deep.

“We expect to have some tough competition again and anticipate for every game to be a battle,” Howell said.

That competitive environment will push the Pirates to bring their best effort to every match while preparing them for postseason play.

A strong group of seniors is expected to lead Polson both on and off the field. Howell said their presence is invaluable to the team’s chemistry and performance.

“We have a strong senior class leading us this year, made up of returning players Baylee Lemm, Ciri Nice, Kellyn Nelson, Mackinzi Bartel, and Vivian Grainey,” Howell said. “The leadership coming from this group of players will be a huge factor in building team camaraderie and unity this season, and helping to push this team to their full potential. We are excited to see our seniors paving the way through their strong play on the field, as well as their leadership off of the field within the greater team unit.”

Howell emphasized the importance of local support. “We love the support of our community and would love to see you at our games this fall!” Howell said. “Come support your Pirate and Lady Pirate soccer teams this season! Go Lady Pirates!”

With a deep roster, senior leadership, and a determination to grow together, the Polson girls soccer team is looking forward to building momentum and making every game a hard-fought battle this fall.