Sporting a high-powered scoring offense, the Mountlake Terrace Hawks have had great success on the soccer pitch over the past two seasons. The team qualified for the WIAA 3A State Girls Soccer Tournament in 2022 and fell just one win short of going back to state again last year.

But with former Hawk Natalie Cardin — the team’s scoring leader the past two seasons — now playing college soccer at Westminster University in Salt Lake City, the Hawks know they won’t have the scoring punch they have enjoyed the past two years.

Defense is the new rally cry of Terrace this season.

With an increased emphasis on stopping opponents from scoring, the Hawks will be relying on sophomore Jordyn Stokes to help carry the team to wins. 

Stokes will be tending goal for Terrace after a strong first season playing the position last year. The sophomore continues to impress Hawk coaches despite her youth and inexperience in the role.

“That’s a key piece that you need to be successful at the high school level — you’ve got to have a good goalkeeper,” Terrace assistant coach Josh Cardin said. “Jordyn stepped up last year as a freshman and has just been grinding at getting better. She is so much better this year and has done absolutely awesome for us.”

When former Terrace goalkeeper Sierra Sonko graduated in the spring of 2023 (Sonko is now a redshirt freshman playing soccer for Sacramento State University), Hawk coaches were stumped as to who would take over the position. They found their answer in Stokes.

“She came in last year as a first-year goalkeeper and worked on goalkeeping with her club team over the year and has been absolutely super important,” Cardin explained.

“She’s athletic, she plays basketball; she has the height and she was willing to step up and be keeper,” Cardin added.

Last year’s Terrace squad scored an average of 3.26 goals per game; Cardin knows those offensive numbers won’t be matched this season but he still sees a pathway for the Hawks to be successful this year.

“If we can’t put the ball into the back of the net then we’ve got to keep games close,” Cardin said. “So with Jordyn back there giving us a chance and us having a possibility of scoring one or two goals a game, then that puts us in an opportunity where we can win a game or come out with a draw.”

Stokes — who played varsity soccer, basketball and softball at Mountlake Terrace last year as a freshman — said she is enjoying her role as goalkeeper for the Hawks.

“I’m excited to play; it’s been fun,” Stokes said. “I like to compete.”

Stokes won’t be the only underclassman that the Hawks will be relying on this season, as her defensive line in front of her are all non-seniors: juniors Brynlee Dubiel, Daphne Ostberg, Sadie Parker and sophomore Lilly Sims.

“Everyone’s young and they haven’t played a ton of defense for us,” Cardin admitted “We’re all just kind of working through it right now.”

Cardin hopes Stokes and her supporting defensive line can come together and be successful on the field. But for now, he is pleased that his sophomore goalkeeper has come to love playing the position..

“I don’t know if it’s from us or if she decided that on her own but it started here at the high school and she’s eating it up; she loves it,” Cardin said.

— By Doug Petrowski