SARA GETTYS/Yakima Herald-Republic YVCC players (from left) Leticia Reiber, Jacyna Coleman, and Patty Lopez work through warm-up drills during the third practice of YVCC new women's soccer team on Thursday, August 24, 2006.

But unlike most teams, the Yakima Valley Community College women's soccer squad had already won when it took the No. 2 field at Chesterley Park on Wednesday to play Wenatchee Valley.

The Yaks triumphed, you see, because they made history before they scored their first goal.

"That's actually one of the things I try to tell the girls at almost every practice," said coach Luiz Machado, who led the Yaks to a 6-2 win against WVC. "I tell them, 'Regardless of how we do this season, we're part of history.' From my own standpoint, I'm honored to be part of this. I'm very thankful."

By being YVCC's first women's soccer team, the Yaks will usher in a new era in the school's athletic history and realize a plan that has been several years in the offing.

SARA GETTYS/Yakima Herald-Republic Luiz Machado, the coach of the new YVCC women's soccer team speaks to his players before they begin their third practice on Thursday, August 24, 2006.

It was originally planned to start in 2008 — and the college's on-campus playing facility probably won't be ready until then — but Machado has assembled a 14-player team and has proclaimed it ready to play.

"I have some strong and aggressive players," said Machado, who coached the Yakima Reds semiprofessional men's team for six seasons. "We're still organizing the team, but I have a lot of experience in the midfield."

One of the purposes of community college sports is to offer competitive opportunities to students who might not otherwise have them. YVCC women's soccer is providing such chances, Machado said, citing two sisters on his team as prime examples.

Mariana Martinez and Leticia Reiber, ages 37 and 36, respectively, have made the team and Machado is excited to have them.

"They're fit and they're good players," he said. "They've played in the women's recreation league, the warehouse league, that a lot of the high school players in the valley play in.

"They haven't played college soccer, but this is something they're so excited about this. They feel just like kids coming out of high school, getting an opportunity to play college soccer. I never had an opportunity like they're getting."

Machado played professionally for nine years in Brazil before joining the Reds as a player in 1997.

In addition to assembling Yakima Valley's first women's soccer team, Machado is proud that most of the players are home-grown.

"Ninety five percent," he said, "are girls from around the valley — from Cowiche, Selah, Naches, West Valley and other places. Now girls who play high school soccer in and around Yakima, and who want to continue to play competitively, have a chance to stay home and save some money. They can go to school here and play soccer. It's a win-win situation for all of us."

Though winning will not be at a premium yet, while the program becomes established, Machado said he thinks his team will at least be competitive.

"I watched some games last year, games involving Wenatchee at CBC (Columbia Basin College)," he said, "and even though I feel our chances of reaching the finals are very slim I do think we're going to have a competitive team. Toward the middle of the season, when the team chemistry has a chance to develop, we'll know more.

"But one of our main goals is just to get the program started. We've been telling the girls that nobody is expecting us to do anything in the league. I like having the pressure off, but we're still going to play every single game to win."

Ray Funk, in his second year as YVCC's athletic director, sees today's game as a milestone event.

"It will mark the culmination of maybe three years of planning that started with Jerry (retired athletic director Ward) and Kelly (interim A.D. Robbins) and has continued. It's exciting to see it come to fruition.

"It's been a little nerve-wracking for Cody Butler (assistant A.D.) and myself, taking care of all the little details. But for YVCC and the soccer community in Yakima, this will be a really neat thing."

YAKIMA VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

WOMEN'S SOCCER ROSTER

Elida Licea, 5-3, so., Yakima; Tonya Schroeder, 5-5, Stevenson; Jacyna Coleman, 5-3, Selah; Kelly Bain, 5-7, Cowiche; Sandra Galvez, 5-8, Naches Valley; Erika Eichler, 5-7, West Valley; Mariana Martinez, 6-4, Selah; Jessica Davis, 5-3, Yakima; Celina Gonzalez, 5-1, Cowiche; Patricia Lopez, 5-1, Yakima; Marcela Ford, Yakima; Leticia Reiber, 5-2, Selah; Rebeka Cuevas, 5-6, Yakima; Megan Ferguson, 5-2, Yakima.

Coach: Luiz Machado.

2006 SCHEDULE

September — 6, Wenatchee*; 11, at Columbia Basin; 12, at Treasure Valley; 15, Spokane*; 16, Walla Walla#; 20, at Bellevue; 23, at Highline; 27, Olympic*; 30, Tacoma#.

October — 6, at Spokane; 7, at Walla Walla; 14, at Wenatchee Valley; 20, Columbia Basin%; 21, Treasure Valley#; 25, Bellevue%; 28, Highline#.

* — 3 p.m.; # — noon; % — 2 p.m.

All home matches at Chesterley Park Field No. 2.