Thursday, Sep. 24, 2009

Soccer notebook: Bombers start fast for new coach

By Jack Millikin, Herald staff writer

RICHLAND -- With several returning starters and a strong winning tradition backed by hard-working players, the Richland Bombers weren't going to stay down for long.

The Bombers are 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the CBBN, outscoring opponents 29-3 through their first six contests.

Richland coach Sara Elfering, a Bombers assistant from 2003-07, has seen the team come out of the gate strong. But even Elfering, who took over for Chris Smith before this season, wasn't expecting this.

"Absolutely not. Not with this schedule," she said. "But there's no way we have this in the bag. We know we still have to take care of business."

So far, that's what Richland has done, and without too much difficulty.

Granted, much of the scoring came in a ridiculous 18-0 rout of Kennewick, but the Bombers have posted a tough double-overtime win in Wenatchee and a pair of wins at home against league powerhouses Kamiakin and Southridge.

Part of the credit goes to Elfering for setting the bar high for her players, a trait she learned from Smith. But they also enjoy playing for the Richland grad, who won a state title with the Bombers in 1998.

"She's a really inspirational coach," said Bria Caldwell, a junior forward. "Sara likes to focus on the attack because our defense is pretty solid. We all key in on defense -- fill, cover and balance."

So far, Elfering can't complain with the results she's seen.

"Richland has always been well organized on defense," she said. "But we definitely want to be more dangerous (offensively). We want goals in the back of the net."