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Fifth year as a force for King’s Way soccer

Fronk has played varsity for King's Way since she started in eighth grade

By Paul Danzer, Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: September 15, 2014, 5:00pm

Players to watch

Delaney Lindahl, sr., Union; Riley Allison, sr., Camas; Mason Minder, jr., Camas; Anyssa Devera, jr., Camas; Becca Mattson, sr., Evergreen; Alex Sanders, jr., Union; Taylor Kernion, jr., Skyview; Taylor Hallquist, sr., Columbia River; Jesse Wilmoth, sr., Mountain View; Rylee Seekins, jr., Hockinson; Sydnie Cole-Vogler, sr., Hockinson; Peyton Merringer, sr., Hockinson; Taryn Ries, soph., Ridgefield; Jordyn Voyles, sr., Ridgefield; Heidi Fronk, sr., King’s Way Christian.

Five things to watch this season

Camas-Union rivalry: Sure, these schools are rivals in just about everything, but the soccer field is one place the competition gets especially intense. Don’t be surprised if the two matches between the Papermakers and the Titans — on Oct. 2 and Oct. 28 — determine the 4A GSHL championship.

Columbia River reloads: The Chieftains graduated 12 seniors from last season’s team, but still expect to make a run at a third-consecutive Class 3A championship.

Returning talent: Five of the 12 girls selected to The Columbian’s all-region team for 2013 are back for this season. Among the many all-league players returning are the 2013 offensive MVPs from the 4A GSHL (Delaney Lindahl, Union), the 2A GSHL (Rylee Seekins, Hockinson and Tayrn Ries, Ridgefield) and 1A Trico (Heidi Fronk, King’s Way Christian).

Players to watch

Delaney Lindahl, sr., Union; Riley Allison, sr., Camas; Mason Minder, jr., Camas; Anyssa Devera, jr., Camas; Becca Mattson, sr., Evergreen; Alex Sanders, jr., Union; Taylor Kernion, jr., Skyview; Taylor Hallquist, sr., Columbia River; Jesse Wilmoth, sr., Mountain View; Rylee Seekins, jr., Hockinson; Sydnie Cole-Vogler, sr., Hockinson; Peyton Merringer, sr., Hockinson; Taryn Ries, soph., Ridgefield; Jordyn Voyles, sr., Ridgefield; Heidi Fronk, sr., King's Way Christian.

Five things to watch this season

Camas-Union rivalry: Sure, these schools are rivals in just about everything, but the soccer field is one place the competition gets especially intense. Don't be surprised if the two matches between the Papermakers and the Titans -- on Oct. 2 and Oct. 28 -- determine the 4A GSHL championship.

Columbia River reloads: The Chieftains graduated 12 seniors from last season's team, but still expect to make a run at a third-consecutive Class 3A championship.

Returning talent: Five of the 12 girls selected to The Columbian's all-region team for 2013 are back for this season. Among the many all-league players returning are the 2013 offensive MVPs from the 4A GSHL (Delaney Lindahl, Union), the 2A GSHL (Rylee Seekins, Hockinson and Tayrn Ries, Ridgefield) and 1A Trico (Heidi Fronk, King's Way Christian).

Great goalkeepers: Camas GK Marie Matthews was the 4A GSHL defensive player of the year as a junior. She was honorable mention all-state and on The Columbian's all-region team. With Lauren Rood -- who skipped last season to play for the United States under-17 women's national team -- the Papermakers are loaded in front of goal.

Playoff path: The Class 4A GSHL is still awaiting a decision on how many teams will advance beyond district. Class 4A and Class 3A teams that reach the semifinals will play at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup. Class 2A and Class 1A semifinals and finals are at Shoreline Stadium.

Great goalkeepers: Camas GK Marie Matthews was the 4A GSHL defensive player of the year as a junior. She was honorable mention all-state and on The Columbian’s all-region team. With Lauren Rood — who skipped last season to play for the United States under-17 women’s national team — the Papermakers are loaded in front of goal.

Playoff path: The Class 4A GSHL is still awaiting a decision on how many teams will advance beyond district. Class 4A and Class 3A teams that reach the semifinals will play at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup. Class 2A and Class 1A semifinals and finals are at Shoreline Stadium.

On Sept. 7, 2010, Heidi Fronk scored three goals as the King’s Way Christian girls soccer team defeated Stevenson 5-1.

“We were so surprised,” Fronk said, remembering the first match in the program’s history.

Four Septembers later, Fronk is still making history for King’s Way. She was not even in high school yet when she scored those first three goals.

To field a team, coach Chris Conway had to bring in players from the school’s popular middle school team.

As she begins her fifth season with the King’s Way soccer program, Fronk fascinated by how she has grown as a person and a teammate.

“It’s been cool to see how much I’ve changed,” Fronk said. “I definitely learned from (the first season) that I have to respect all my teammates.”

In her memory, she was a cocky eighth grader who let her varsity status go to her head.

The truth is, Conway said, Fronk and three other eighth-graders were the best soccer players on that first King’s Way team, which had no seniors. Fronk, who has been a first-team all-Trico League selection the past two seasons, is the final link to that inaugural season.

Conway has handed the coaching reins to Tina Ellertson.

The three eighth graders who played for the Knights along with Fronk in 2010 are elsewhere. Sadie Josephson plays for Prairie High, and Sarah Ferguson for Skyview High. Harper Christian no longer plays soccer.

In her final high school season, Fronk is in the middle another transition — helping a half-dozen eighth graders find their place on a high school soccer team.

As was the case in 2010, King’s Way doesn’t have enough high school players to field a girls soccer team. So five or six players from a healthy middle school program will see varsity time for a squad coached by Ellertson, a former U.S. women’s national team defender.

Ellertson said the eighth-graders, including her own daughter MacKenzie, look up to Fronk.

“Its a wonderful opportunity for (Fronk) to come full circle,” Ellertson said. “And she’s a wonderful outlet for the young girls. She’s done it. So they know they can believe what she tells them.”

Fronk’s message is simple:

“It can be kind of scary the first couple of games going against girls five years older than you. I told them to just play their game and do their best and have fun,” Fronk said. “Not many people get to play five years of varsity. It’s a really cool experience.”

Ellertson said Fronk exemplifies what she wants King’s Way soccer players to be: good students and team players who work for each other.

“We can put her at any position and she will empty the tank and do whatever you want,” Ellertson said.

A central defender at heart — it’s the position she will likely play in college for Montana State-Billings — Fronk said she enjoys physical battles and aggressive slide tackles. She said she has earned 12 yellow cards but no ejections for her aggressive play.

Fronk said she has not thought about her legacy. Her hope for King’s Way soccer is that girls continue to have fun playing together while also playing for God — working hard, not being lazy or taking the team or the sport for granted, Fronk said.

“He’s the one who gave me this talent.”

And Fronk’s talents have helped King’s Way girls soccer get off on the right foot.

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Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter