Steve Thomas may have fastest team he's ever coached

Gladstone High School has lost five talented seniors to graduation from last year’s girls soccer team that won its second state title in three years.

Still, Gladstone coach Steve Thomas says he is “cautiously optimistic” about the upcoming season, based on what he’s seen this summer.

Thomas’ Gladiators have been practicing twice a week since school got out and they played in a Monday six-on-a-side league in Gresham for five weeks.

They played Parkrose in their first full-side officiated practice game of the summer last week. Thomas subbed in everyone from a 22-player summer roster, and the Gladiators still won handily, 5-1.

Amber Jensen scored two goals, while Julia Schumaker and newcomers Chelsea Entrambasaguas and Hannah Kent scored single tallies.

“I’m feeling really good for the third week of July,” Thomas said following the Parkrose game. “We’ve graduated most of our midfield, but I like what I’ve seen from the new young players. Their learning curve has been really good for summer. The youngsters are maturing and growing up fast....

“Our league and the Southern League will be the two toughest leagues in the state. If we can win our league...., I think we could do some damage in the playoffs.”

Thomas noted that under a new state playoff format, league champions will get a bye in the first round of the state playoffs. League champions will play their first state playoff games in the round of 16, and it will be a home game.

“We’ve lost only a handful of games at home over the last four years,” Thomas noted.

But the Gladiators do have some work to do if they are going to finish atop the Tri-Valley Conference.

Missed from last year’s team will be five graduates who had been starters for three or four years: midfielders Haleigh Murrell, Brita Kintz and Ashley Beykovsky, and defenders Rylee Jones and Meagan Bartz.

Still, Gladstone will not be without returning talent. Jensen, last year’s Class 4A “Player of the Year” and a two-time TVC “Player of the Year,” returns to lead the offense. Last year she had 37 goals and 14 assists, and she’s been Gladstone’s leading scorer since she was a freshman.

And the Gladiators return a veteran defense, with seniors Taylor Plunkett, Madi Cronin, Victoria Finley and Grace Kersting back, along with sophomore goal keeper Molly Webster, who last year had a school-record-tying 14 shutouts in 19 games.

“We’ve got a lot of speed,” Thomas said. “From the top to the bottom of our roster, this is probably the fastest team I’ve ever had.”

The Gladiators return four experienced juniors in defender Julia Schumaker, and midfielders Kelsey Hathaway (12 goals, 11 assists), Kendall Schumaker and Cheyenne Stubblefield.

Sophomore defender Mikaela Simac and sophomore midfielder Riley Webster also return with varsity experience.

Thomas says he’ll have plenty of depth at goalie, with sophomore Tianna Smith and a transfer from Putnam backing up Webster.

Hathaway and Webster were first-team all-conference selections last year, while Plunkett and Cronin made the TVC’s second all-star team.

The Gladiators will continue busy during the month of August. They’ll have a two-week, three-nights-a-week, mini camp beginning Aug. 6, and daily doubles practices begin Aug. 20.

“I’m excited about what I’ve seen!” Thomas said. “I can’t wait to play our first game.”