Lakewood, M-P soccer players sign letters of intent

EVERETT — Lakewood High School’s Miranda Head and Marysville-Pilchuck High School’s Rebecca Lentz were all smiles as they became the latest student athletes to sign their names on the dotted line on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Head and Lentz are among the 12 members of the Everett-based Washington Rush Soccer Club U18 Girls team to earn soccer scholarships to Division 1, 2 and 3 colleges, including conferences from the Pac 12, Big-10, WCC and GNAC.

The two girls joined those other players in signing letters of intent that evening, in time for National Letter of Intent Day, at the North County Youth Soccer Association Office in Everett. Goalkeeper Head signed on with California State University at San Bernardino for Division 2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Conference, while defender Lentz signed on with Gonzaga University for Division 1 in the West Coast Conference.

Ben Somoza, coach of the Washington Rush G93 Girls Soccer Team, touted its overall record of 22-2-2 for the 2011-12 season, and noted that many of the team members have been playing together since they were 10 years old. He additionally observed how unusual it is for 12 members out of an 18-member team to receive such a distinction.

“These girls can be a handful, but they’re a lot of fun to coach,” Somoza said. “I think a lot of people might not realize how hard they’ve worked to get to this point.”

Bill and Jody Head, parents of Miranda, agreed that her soccer playing represented a long road from when she started at the age of 3, which required commitment from both Miranda and the rest of her family.

“She didn’t miss a year,” Bill Head said. “We’ve had to balance soccer with church and family time. She doesn’t work at a job, because we wanted that time with her.”

“We’ve gotten close to a lot of the other players’ families,” Jody Head said. “We’ve developed relationships through shared bonding experiences.”

Miranda Head, who’s currently considering a child psychology major, credited her best friend Sadie Hitsky with getting her into soccer, as well as Rebecca Lentz’s father with starting and coaching the soccer team that kept Miranda involved in the sport when she turned 10. She also cited another coach, Mark Boyes, with serving as her inspiration to press on through adversity.

“I’ve met so many of my friends through soccer,” Miranda Head said. “As a goalkeeper, the fact that I’m not in direct competition with anyone can make it difficult for me to motivate myself, but my teammates are all strong motivators. I’ve never burned out on this sport.”

Just as Miranda Head thanked her family, so too did Jody Head describe her daughter as “an all-around wonderful girl.”

 

Contact Marysville Globe Reporter Kirk Boxleitner at kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com or 360-659-1300 Ext. 5052.

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