The whistle is set to blow for another season of high school soccer.

For the Flathead Bravettes it's a third new coach in as many years, while the Braves look ahead at year two with John Lacey at the helm. 

The Bravettes see Chris Putzler take over the squad this fall and it isn't his first time leading a Flathead soccer program. He led the Braves back from 2008-2012 before taking a break from the sidelines. Recently Putzler started coaching club soccer again as his daughter continued to get involved in the game; now he is back as a AA head coach. 

As for his squad, Putzler is pleased with the turnout — around 30 girls. 

"The team has been young, so we have a solid core group of juniors and only two seniors," Putzler said adding that he saw more freshmen joining the team than he anticipated. "This is a group that is really committed to improvement, they want to work hard to get better." 

Putzler spoke highly of both his seniors — Adeline Schneider and Azalea Bailey — who were named team captains. 

Transfer Natalie Smith is also a name to watch for the Bravettes. 

Overall, Putzler hopes to see his group getting better each time they take the field. 

"Our big focus is improvements," Putzler said. "We have some measurable data from last year and we are using those numbers to measure our improvements beyond the win and loss column." 

Both Flathead squads get things rolling Friday in Helena against Capital before facing the Bengals Saturday. 

"It's a challenging start and a good introduction to our kids for the varsity speed of play," Putzler said. 

As for Lacey's Braves, the second-year coach says this in another year to help his team get better. 

"We have had some great sessions," Lacey said. "The boys are getting ready and excited to get down to Helena for the first games." 

Lacey noted that his squad brings a lot of experience in the back line, led by Eli Glanville — the Braves’ lone all-conference selection last season. 

He adds that while training has been good so far, it's hard to simulate the speed that opponents will play with in practice. 

"Once the games hit we will find more focused opportunities to grow," Lacey said. "It is a really strong conference and we are going to learn quickly and put that application into the games."