SQUALICUM

STORM

Coach: Joe McAuliffe

Last Year: Finished first in the Class 2A Northwest Conference standings with a 11-0-2 conference record. ... Won a NWC title. ... Ended season after losing to Fife in the Class 2A State Tournament quarterfinals and finished 16-2-3 overall.

Players to watch: Adam Smiley (sr., F/M); Hans Kogan (jr., D); Gabe Guidroz (jr., F/M); Arne Peterson (jr., M); Ryan Moore (sr., D); Zach Hart (sr., GK)

Outlook: The bad news for Squalicum is that it graduated its top two goal scorers and team captains David Starkovich and Spencer Wolfe as well as starting defensemen Mike Senko, Ryan Chang and Tom Hirsh. The good news is Squalicum still has plenty of talent, arguably enough, on paper at least, to make another postseason run. Adam Smiley, Squalicum's maestro in the middle, returns for his senior year and will be counted on to organize the Storm offense once again. Coach Joe McAuliffe hopes attacking players Gabe Guidroz, Cory Brunhaver, Charlie MacIsaac, Arne Peterson, Christian Chala and Quinn Carpenter can increase their scoring output this season. Peterson, Smiley and Carpenter each logged significant midfield minutes last year and will take over for Starkovich and Wolfe. Squalicum's back line will be a bit of an experiment the first couple weeks. Center back Hans Kogan is a great player to build a defense around, and McAuliffe said Squalicum has nine other defenders, each skilled in different ways, who will compete for playing time. "It's the hardest piece of the puzzle to solve, because there is a lot of talent and some young guys are pressing really well," said McAuliffe of his defense in a phone interview.

2013 ROSTER

No. Player Yr. Pos.

1 Hans Kogan Jr. D

2 Avery Wolfe Jr. F/D

3 Anh Ngo Sr. D

4 Gabe Guidroz Jr. M/F

5 Charlie MacIsaac Sr. F

6 Arne Peterson Jr. M

8 Ryan Moore Sr. D

9 Cory Brunhaver Sr. F

10 Adam Smiley Sr. M/F

11 Conner Stevens Jr. D

12 Zach Hart Sr. GK

13 Ryan LeCompte Jr. D

14 Chad Stevenson Jr. D

15 Jonathan Starkovich Jr. D

16 Spencer Wallace So. D

17 Christian Chala Jr. F

19 Zach Wallace So. M

20 BJ James So. D/M

22 Trenton Langer Jr. GK

25 Quinn Carpenter So. F/M

2013 SCHEDULE

March 11 at Marysville-Getchell 7:30 p.m.

March 14 Sehome (Civic) 7:30 p.m.

March 16 Ferndale (Civic) 4 p.m.

March 20 Burlington-Edison (Civic)* 7:30 p.m.

March 22 Lynden (Civic)* 7:30 p.m.

March 26 at Sehome (Civic)* 7:30 p.m.

March 28 at Meridian* 4:30 p.m.

March 30 at Bellingham (Civic) noon

April 9 Bellingham (Civic)* 7:30 p.m.

April 11 at Sedro-Woolley* 6 p.m.

April 15 Nooksack Valley (Northwest)* 4 p.m.

April 17 at Blaine (Pipeline)* 4:30 p.m.

April 19 at Ferndale* 4 p.m.

April 23 Mount Baker (Northwest)* 4 p.m.

April 25 at Lynden Christian (Bender)* 4:30 p.m.

April 29 Anacortes (Northwest)* 7 p.m.

*NWC game

Reach ANDREW LANG at andrew.lang@bellinghamherald.com or call ext. 862.