IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers FANCY FOOTWORK—Simi Valley’s Ashly Eidecker dribbles down the field during Wednesday’s practice session. Despite early injuries, the Pioneers are confident they can push for a playoff spot this season. After missing the playoffs last season, the Simi Valley girls’ soccer team is looking to sneak up on its Marmonte league opponents this year.

Head coach Mark Johnson has begun his 28th season coaching for the Pioneers, and he’s hoping the team can get some breaks to go their way in the months ahead.

Unfortunately for the Pioneers, they’ve gotten the wrong kind of breaks so far, as many key players are injured.

Junior Tawny Skultety will be out fourtosix weeks after breaking both bones in her right arm snowboarding. Senior Dawn Vawter is nursing an ankle injury, and four-year varsity senior Jenna Williams hurt her left knee in a game Tuesday against Oxnard.

Williams is getting her knee X-rayed and having an MRI soon, but as of now the extent of the injury is unknown.

“I got sidetackled from behind, and once I fell, it didn’t hurt at all,” Williams said. “Once I started running it hurt really bad. I’m hoping it is something minor and not a torn meniscus or something of that extent.”

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers FULL BLAST—Pioneer co-captain Jenna Williams winds up for a shot on goal during Wednesday’s workout at SVHS. Johnson’s also hoping the news turns out good for Williams, who has been the Pioneers’ MVP the past two seasons.

“Jenna is probably our best allaround player,” Johnson said. “Every team seems to mark her before the game, and during the game they put two to three players on her.”

Thankfully, the Pioneers have many other girls who have stepped up in place of the injured starters. Players such as senior Brina Miller will most likely see their roles increase.

“Brina plays center-mid for us and is a great decisive player,” Johnson said. “She is one of our tallest players and uses her head very well.”

Although Miller is the tallest Simi Valley player, most of the team is short in stature. With this in mind, Johnson expects to play less of a physical game as he may have in the past.

“I think we will be relying more on our quickness and conditioning this season since, if you look at our team, you will see there are not too many big players out there,” Johnson said.

“We’ll be trying to play a more conservative stance this year with a swarming defense. I think if we play direct, we’ll get killed. But if that doesn’t work then we will change it up and find something that does.”

Williams, a co-captain, said that the team is learning to play together right now in practice, adding that they still need to improve on many things before league play gets underway.

“With our team we have a lot of skilled players, but we don’t have the click yet as a team,” Williams said. “The seniors are working together with our newcomers to make sure that happens. It has improved since our first game though.”

Vawter, another co-captain, agreed with Williams’ statements.

“We don’t have great touch right now,” Vawter said. “Varsity is a fast-paced game, and players can take the ball away from you very fast. We need to learn to have better control and accuracy with the ball.”

This season is Vawter’s first as a captain, something she said came as a shock to her.

“I was surprised when I was told I would be a captain,” Vawter said. “Coach Johnson kind of told me spontaneously when I went to get something in the ASB office with him. I guess I always felt Johnson never thought of me as a captain, only as a player on the team.”

While Vawter is hoping to help guide the Pioneers into the playoffs, Johnson said that making the postseason will be very tough in the highly competitive Marmonte League.

“I’m always going to be optimistic about a season, but realistically, with all our players healthy, we are an average team,” Johnson said. “Without all our players, we aren’t. I think we are a couple of skilled players away.

“But you never know; if we do our job and win our games while the other good teams beat up on each other, we could be right in it. But in this league, I’d be very pleased with a fifth place finish and a winning record. I think every coach will tell you that teams go up and down in cycles,” he said.

“This is a very fun team to watch though. The girls are enjoying themselves, and there is very good chemistry on this team. No one is putting anyone else down. It should be an interesting season.”