After two unprecedented years on the soccer field the Juanita girls soccer team is out to prove that three times is not only a charm, but entirely in their grasp.

The Rebels, who were back-to-back KingCo tournament champions, and made a run in state last fall, want nothing more than to kick open the door which they’ve inched open to the last couple of season.

“Last two years, since I took over we’ve been back to back KingCo tournament champions and last year we went to state,” said returning head coach John Mach. “We want to go to state again but we want to get in the front door. We want to win league. A lot of the other teams have gotten better, but I feel we have too, so it’s going to be a definite challenge but it’s one I think we can accomplish. I think offensively we’re going to be dangerous. We have multiple players who are proven goal scorers.”

The team will be lead on the field by captains Hannah Johnson, a senior center midfielder, and Sara Holden, a senior defender.

“We’re working really hard and I think we have great potential,” said Johnson. “We lost some people but everyone else has stepped up.”

Her co-captain Holden agreed, saying while they lost talent, they probably gained even more this season.

To make their post season goal a reality, the Rebels know they’ll have to be stunning on offense.

“The biggest thing is our offensive is clicking and that our offense is scoring the goals they are capable of scoring and our back line is stopping goals,” said Mach of keys to the season. With eight returning varsity starters from last year’s squad, the early season gelling into a team hasn’t been as strenuous as in years past.

“Really the first couple weeks is all about gelling the new players into the team. I have eight returning starters, which is great for us, and we have some great new talent that have come in. Just kind of determining everybody’s role,” said the coach.

“As a team we want to come closer together,” said Johnson.

“We’ve all been playing together for a long time, and based on how far we went last year, I think we can do it again,” said Holden. “We want to go farther than last year, we’d like to win a game at state, and I think we can.”

Before the Rebels can even think about their post season dreams, the regular season lies ahead of them, filled with strong teams who will provide plenty of tests for the team. Both captains said they were excited to play Liberty, a top team from late in the season last fall, as well as Bellevue and Lake Washington.

“At least last year, it was us and Liberty kind of towards the end, and we’re excited to see what we can do against them,” said the coach. “But there are several other teams in the league that are all in the same area, so you really never know because everyone is right in the same spot. Some teams are better, some have stayed the same, so you really don’t know until the first time you play them in the season what is going to happen.”

Either way the Rebels are determined to gain a piece of fabric for the gym this fall.

“It’s our goal to try and win every single game, because its our goal to have that banner hanging at the end of the season. Everybody does but based on what we’ve done for the last couple of years, we’re just ascending right now,” said Mach.

The Rebels started their season with a loss against Inglemor last week, before two conference matches this week, after Reporter deadline, on Tuesday and Thursday. Juanita will host Bellevue on Tuesday, Sept. 20 with a 7:30 p.m. start before playing Mount Si on Thursday at home.