The new soccer season starts Wednesday, March 18 with a nonleague match up between the Panthers and the White River Hornets.

Last season, the Panthers were defending state champions and finished the season winning the South Puget Sound League 3A.

Bonney Lake advanced to the postseason where it lost in the first round of the state tournament, 2-1 to Ingraham.

The relatively upperclassmen team from last year will have a much different look this season.

Bonney Lake graduated 10 seniors and lost three other players due to transferring schools or playing academy soccer, coach Luke Helling-Christy said.The team is only retuning two players with previous varsity experience, he said.

He said the way the team sets goals will be the main thing impacted.

With a young team, the approach this year will be different, Helling-Christy said.

“Last year, I was in a refinement season and this year, I will be using every minute of the season to educate and elevate my team’s level of play.”

Helling-Christy is in his 12th year coaching and is entering his 10th season with the Panthers.

This season, the Panthers play in the same division as its rivals, Sumner Spartans.

And when it comes to preparing to play the Spartans, Helling-Christy said the Panthers will approach it differently.

“Before it was just a friendly, now they are worth points,” he said. “The intensity is much higher.”

Helling-Christy thinks the Panthers will finish the season among the middle of the SPSL 3A pack and will advance to the post season.

When looking ahead to the first game of the season, he said the Panthers look to keep the game close and manage the energy of the players.

“We are looking to collect data on what we are doing well and what we need to do better moving forward.”

Reach Sarah Wehmann at swehmann@courierherald.com or 360-825-2555 ext. 5060. Follow her on Twitter @swehmann_SOUND for more news, pictures and local events.