The Western Conference is perennially one of the strongest in the state in soccer, and Oak Harbor will have to go to battle this fall with a largely untested crew.

Only five varsity players (and only two seniors) return for the Wildcats, who won all four of their nonleague matches last year but finished 12th in the rugged Wesco with a 1-8-3 record.

Among the five returnees, three received league honors in 2014. Senior Suzanne Kaltenbach was second-team, all-Wesco, while senior Alyssa Cross and sophomore Caylie Etherington were honorable mention.

Junior Lydia Peplinski and sophomore Jenna Cooley also return.

Coach Mike Lonborg needs to replace 12 varsity players and said newcomer junior Gillian Crossley “will provide some punch up top.”

Juniors Caitlyn Torres and Kyra McConaghy and sophomore Malia Hansen will handle midfield duties, Lonborg said, with juniors Chloe Amsler and Taylor Edward are “fighting for time on the defensive line.”

Junior Ebony Campbell is the favorite to start in goal, according to Lonborg.

“Our expectations will come down to our work ethic,” Lonborg said.

To compete in Wesco and reach the team’s goal of earning a playoff berth, the team is going to have to “work harder,” Lonborg said.

“With only five returning players we are going to be learning on the job, the speed of the game and the physicality,” Lonborg said.

Lonborg likes the team’s character: “We have a lot of good kids that are working hard and bonding together. Hopefully that bond will be one of our strengths that we can rally around.”

The first two matches are away, starting at 6 p.m. at Lakewood Tuesday, Sept. 8. The first home match is with Lynnwood at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15.