After a more than a decade-long hiatus, the Lady Vikings soccer team is back, and will play its first games next fall.

Interest in reigniting the Orcas High School girls’ program has been brewing for well over a year. A committee of four students — Chloe Anderson-Cleveland, Wren Ontjes, Lucy Rios and Katie Spinogatti — worked diligently on a proposal that was presented to the school board in April.

“They did a fantastic job organizing it. We met monthly and then bimonthly all year long to get it right,” said OIHS Athletic Director Paul Steimel.

Around 50 people showed up to support the effort, including young soccer players, prospective players, coaches and parents. The school board approved the proposal unanimously at its meeting on May 27.

“It was a great choice by the school board. We really appreciate their support in this,” Steimel said.

Girls’ soccer is recognized as Orcas School’s first state championship team, having won the title in 2009. The Vikings defeated Napavine 4-1 under Coach Anderson and co-coach Terry Turner, who also led the boys’ team to a state title this past year. The original girls’ program began as a grassroots effort fueled by a desire to create an all-girls soccer team.

The roster disintegrated in recent years due to a lack of interested players. Female athletes were invited to play on the boys’ team, but few participated.

“Now, this will match our boys’ program. They can support each other and build a sense of community,” Steimel said.

Setting up the program is a little behind schedule, but Steimel has already set 10 games for the 2025 season and is adding a handful more. OISD is posting the job description for hiring a head coach and will then hire an assistant coach. An estimated 16 to 18 girls will be on the Lady Vikings soccer team.

“Last year, the volleyball team had 32 girls, which means many were left out and didn’t get a lot of playing time. This will ease that load, too,” Steimel explained. “The key is sustaining by starting from the lower levels and working up. Soccer in our community is huge. Soccer is THE game here. It’s nice for the girls to have their own team now.”