Heading into his fourth season at the top of the Enumclaw soccer program, coach Shawn Tobius likes what he sees.

“We look pretty good, top to bottom,” he said a day before Saturday’s season-opening jamboree in Orting. “This is the best group I’ve had.”

That’s saying a lot, since last year’s team – despite placing fourth in the SPSL 3A – was one victory shy of landing a berth in the state tournament. That squad also had the advantage of having Caitlin Plese in goal; an all-league performer, who has taken her talents to Portland State University.

This year’s group suffered a setback Thursday when Juliet Bannerot, anticipated to be the Hornets’ top goal-scoring threat – went down with a knee injury. The prognosis wasn’t immediately available, but Tobius was fearing season-ending damage had been done.

If that’s the case, Tobius said, everyone else will simply have to step up and meet the challenge. Waiting to do that are returning players like Julie Curtain, Nadine Huff, Jessica Snoen, Angela Lindsey and Kayla Bunderson. Factoring into the mix are newcomers like Haley Johnson, Cayla Dahl and Hannah Dahlquist. A freshman, Katie Craft, will be starting in goal.

Emphasizing a need to play solid defense, Tobius said “we want to be more solid in the back than last year…and we will be.”