Knights eye state bid ahead of 2026 season
Sep. 4—ROYAL CITY — After a strong 2025 that fell just short of a state tournament bid, the Royal Knights (13-3) come into this season eager to take that next step. "I think we need to score," Head Coach Jens Jensen said. "We need to score from more set pieces than we did last year. That's going to be huge. So free kicks, corners — we got to find more goals." The Knights made a run in the ...
The Royal Knights come into the 2026 season aiming to secure a state tournament bid following a strong showing in 2025. Head Coach Jens Jensen emphasized the importance of increasing goal-scoring opportunities from set pieces, particularly free kicks and corners, to improve their attacking prowess. Key players returning from last year include Lauren Wardenaar, Maggie Frank, Hallie Christensen, Briseydi Pacheco, and goalkeeper Grace Soliz.
Wardenaar and Frank were the top goal scorers, while Frank contributed the most assists. Christensen anchored the defense, with Soliz recovering from a knee injury and expected to play later in the season, with a freshman taking her place temporarily. Jensen highlighted the team's goal of achieving at least 10 shutouts, prioritizing defensive efforts to protect the new goalkeeper.
Despite facing tough competition from the South Central Athletic Conference, including Naches Valley and Wahluke Warriors, Jensen remains optimistic about the team's potential. The Knights aim to perform well in their league and secure a favorable state tournament seeding, aiming to avoid top-ranked teams and secure a win in the first game.
Coach Jensen, with 22 years of experience, commends the team's hard work, coachability, and camaraderie, particularly noting the bond with his youngest daughter, who joins as a freshman this season.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
