Yates making most of opportunities with U.S. National team, high school team

Summer Yates has a dream.

It’s the same dream that made Carli Lloyd, the electrifying forward for the United States women’s national soccer team, a household name among soccer fans after scoring six goals fort he U.S. during its drive to the 2015 FIFA World Cup women’s championship.

Yates, a sophomore at Chiawana and member of the U-16 U.S. women’s national team, longs for the chance to keep building up women’s soccer the way players like Lloyd, Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, and Richland native Hope Solo, have done before her.

“(The World Cup win) was good for upcoming girls playing soccer. It gave them some motivation and was a good experience for them. It’s going to bring a lot more fans to women’s soccer,” said Yates, who hopes to one day set foot on that same national stage. “I have to take it one step at a time. I have to keep working at it, because I know girls all around the world are working just as hard, maybe even harder. So I have to keep working harder to get that edge.”

Forutnately, Yates is focused on getting the Chiawana girls team as far into the Class 4A state tournament as possible. The Riverhawks (12-6) will play host to Ferris (10-8) at 5 p.m. today at Chiawana High School. The Hawks beat the Saxons 2-1 only a week ago — on a pair of Yates goals, in fact — in the District 5-8 regional opener, but a win today will give Chiawana its first-ever state victory in girls soccer.

“I think we have the potential to go to the Final Four. Obviously, Ferris is a good team, and we have to do some things to,” Riverhawks coach Rich Zoller said. “We need to stay composed and be able to slow the game down when we need to. Playing with a sense of urgency will be key for us.”

With players like Yates and Braydey Hodgins up top, and a solid defense anchored by four-year starting goalkeeper Cydni Cottrell and senior defenders Justice Aragon, Andraya Conger and Darbi Pink, Chiawana has a chance to make program history.

Hodgins and Yates have provided the bulk of the Riverhawks’ scoring this year, combining for nearly 75 percent of the team’s scoring. Hodgins has 24 goals, while Yates has contributed 23. The rest of the team has combined for 16 tallies.

That’s a tribute to the amount of work Hodgins and Yates have put in together up top. Both have their share of assists, too, feeding off each other’s playmaking ability.

“We play with the same style. She’s really strong and can hold the ball. She’s able to win the ball from defenders, and she never stops,” Yates said. “Even if she loses it, she always wins it back. I can always count on her to win it back.”

Hodgins, a senior who committed to Boise State to play basketball, praised her younger teammate for showing not just physical talent, but poise and maturity beyond her years.

“She has really good footwork. She’s a really good passer,” Hodgins said. “She never has anything negative to say. Really, she never says anything, but she never gets down on us. She just kind of fits in and does her thing.”

Her ‘thing’, in case you’re wondering, is displaying the rare ability to control the ball at high speeds and still maintain a sharp finishing touch. That’s something Zoller noticed early on.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever had a player — boy or girl — with that much control over the ball, with the moves she does, at the pace she has,” Zoller said. “Just being able to watch those two on the field. They’ve always been able to score at key moments. Braydey has been great as the elder of the two, being that big sister instead of creating a battle over who’s scoring the goals or getting all the credit.”

Yates said being a part of the U.S. Soccer program is a great honor, but she is serious about her high school career, too, which isn’t always the case among national team players.

“I think (high school soccer) helps my grit, my mentality and my determination to pull out a win for my team,” said Yates, who has already verbally committed to the University of Washington. “I like the competition and the friendships I make on these teams. It’s just a great time for me.”

HOLY NAMES (15-3-3) AT KAMIAKIN (14-5), 5 P.M., LAMPSON STADIUM: The Braves, which finished second in the MCC, recorded a big win over GSL rival Mt. Spokane in a regional elimination game. Now they’ll face an aggressive Holy Names team that went unbeaten in its first 15 games.

AUBURN-RIVERSIDE (13-6) AT SOUTHRIDGE (15-2), 5 P.M.: The Suns have proved their toughness all season, playing — and winning — without their leading scorer from last year. Their reward is a home game against the perennial SPSL power Ravens.

This story was originally published November 9, 2015 at 11:28 PM with the headline "Yates making most of opportunities with U.S. National team, high school team."