Brooke Steinberg finds she has the ideal new soccer coach when it comes to handling the mental and physical challenges of returning from two serious knee injuries.
Likewise, Whatcom Community College teammate Daisha Zwick finds her new coach also knows what it takes to become a potent yet unselfish striker.
Their new coach is 23-year-old Claire Morgan, who spent most of the previous nine seasons winning numerous athletic and academic honors at Bellingham High School and Western Washington University before receiving this head coaching opportunity at an unusually young age.
Former all-state selection Morgan was one of the state's most productive scorers until she suffered a serious knee injury as a Bellingham junior, two years after helping the Red Raiders to a state finals appearance. She didn't let that prevent her from winning three first-team all-conference honors at Western and setting the career record for assists.
"I don't take soccer for granted now," is what both Steinberg and Zwick both said while recalling the injuries that spoiled their senior years after both blossomed into outstanding performers as juniors three years ago - Steinberg at Bellingham and Zwick at Ferndale.
Morgan puts it another way: "It's a privilege to play soccer."
She feels more strongly than ever about that, having suffered her second ACL tear while playing for the Seattle Sounders' women's team in April, shortly after finishing her stellar career at Western.
"I can't run at full speed yet, but I'm rehabbing my injury and I plan to keep playing with the Sounders," said Morgan, who has won hundreds of friends in the Whatcom County soccer community since she was a young girl with her combination of sportsmanship, ability and love of the game.
Steinberg, who had been a three-year regular at Bellingham, first tore her ACL at a college showcase tournament in Texas in May of her junior year and made only brief appearances as a senior.
"I wasn't mentally mature enough (to handle the first injury) and came back way too fast," said Steinberg, who tore the same ACL less than a year later, preventing her from playing at WCC last season.
Ironically, Steinberg's second injury came in a spring scrimmage against Western before Morgan's senior season with the Vikings.
"I just felt really bad for Brooke when I saw her get hurt," said Morgan, who coached both Steinberg and Zwick as part of her senior project at Bellingham. "But I never felt she wasn't going to play again."
Steinberg simply wasn't going to quit.
"This time, I feel like I've put in a lot of rehab work," said Steinberg, who was a productive striker as a Bellingham junior (eight goals and 11 assists), yet will play defense on WCC's four-player back line because that's where her tough-minded approach is needed most. "It (her knee) feels really strong.
"Now I feel I'm better on defense," said Steinberg, while laughing about how Morgan has to remind her to stay "home" in her defensive area. "I'm coming back with the mindset of going as hard as I can as long as I can."
Zwick sustained a broken leg in the second game of her senior season at Ferndale and played in only six games. A swift player, she might have been overshadowed by younger Division I talents Kaytlyn Steele (now at St. Mary's) and Haley Locker (now at San Diego State), both of whom had all-county junior seasons while Zwick was injured as a senior.
"I wasn't bothered by that (the lack of publicity)," said Zwick, who started as a freshman as the Orcas went 5-8-1 in the NWAACC and 8-10-2 overall while failing to qualify for the conference tournament. "I just want to make our conference tournament and have a winning season."
Both players express enthusiasm over playing for the youthful Morgan.
"Claire has done a great job of getting the girls together," said Steinberg. "I'm excited about our skill and our level of play."
"I really commend Brooke and Daisha for coming back to play for us and for putting their trust in me," said Morgan, whose first games will be on Wednesday, Aug. 31, against Clark CC at Tukwila's Starfire Complex and on Thursday, Sept. 1, against Lane CC on the same pitch.
"Our goal is to make the conference tournament," said Morgan, who treasured the 27 assists she had at Western along with her 25 goals. "I think it's a realistic goal."
Morgan's 16-player team has only two other returning starters - defender Bre Adams from Blaine and defender/midfielder Danielle Lange from Ferndale. Morgan feels both will be solid performers.
"We have an interesting mix of experience, with transfers, returnees and players from other sports," said Morgan, noting the team isn't as inexperienced as four returnees might indicate.
Her local talents include forwards Annie Borg from Mount Baker, Riley Marcus from Sehome and Tia Brogna from Mount Vernon. Other locals include defenders Lauren Frey from Mount Baker and Katie Franz from Ferndale and forward Libby Hotson from Sehome. Former Ferndale basketball standout Ashley Honeycutt, who has used up her hoops eligibility at WCC, plans to compete with current Orcas basketball sophomore Allie Holterman for the goalkeeper job.
"That's an interesting story," said Morgan. "My recruited keeper called me (a few days before practice began) to say she wouldn't be attending college, so I had to scramble. Allie and Ashley told me they would be willing to come out for soccer. I think they can both be very good goalkeepers."
