Rogers Leads Seahawks Girls Soccer into Another Title Chase

These three girls are special, and I think people will really enjoy watching them out there together.”

When Maya Rogers lines up on the wing for the Peninsula Seahawks girls soccer team, it’s not just her speed that worries opposing defenses. It’s the way she can pick apart a back line — sometimes with a perfectly weighted cross, sometimes by blowing past a defender before they even realize she’s gone.

That versatility helped Rogers lead the Seahawks with 12 assists in 2024, feeding a front line that accounted for 34 of Peninsula’s 41 goals last fall. She was a first-team all-league selection in the Puget Sound League’s Nisqually Division and part of a senior trio, with forward Nora Sutherland and midfielder Ella Coates, that has second-year head coach José Brambila feeling both fortunate and optimistic.

“Maya’s passing and crosses are exceptional,” Brambila said. “Her speed is a weapon, but she’s also incredibly smart with the ball even when under pressure.”

Rogers thrives in those pressure situations. Last season, she set up Sutherland on multiple game-winners, including three goals off her corner kicks. That connection is something she and her teammates worked to sharpen during the summer, when she was splitting time between morning practices with Peninsula and afternoon sessions with her club team in Puyallup.

Her role on the pitch is only part of her impact. Off the field, Rogers applies the same focus to her school and community. She’s active in the Unified Club, serves on the Student Athlete Leadership Council, has helped coach soccer at Harbor Ridge Middle School, and even referees matches for younger players. Those experiences, she said, have shaped her approach to leadership.

“We treat all the younger players with respect,” said Rogers, whose sophomore brother Ryan plays on the Seahawks boys soccer team. “We want our freshmen to play confident early on (so the seniors can) leave this team on a high note.”

Like her playing style, Rogers’ leadership style has evolved, too. She recalled a T-shirt she had as a kid that read “I’m not bossy, I have leadership skills.”

“I’ve been told I was bossy since I was little,” she said. “But I learned to make suggestions and guide instead of command.”

She applies that same intentionality to her future. Although she’d welcome the chance to play soccer in college, she’s looking at academics first. A self-described true-crime fan — “just not late at night, only during the day,” she said — Rogers hopes to study criminal justice with a focus on cybercrime investigation, with the goal of one day working for the FBI or CIA. She’s looking closely at schools in Utah that offer programs in her field.

With nearly the entire roster returning from last year’s 14-4-1 squad (10-1-1 in the Puget Sound League), Rogers and her teammates enter the 2025 season with chemistry and expectations intact.

Brambila knows the potential is there and likes the way his group is handling it.

“Leadership is so important in creating the culture I want, and a player like Maya has done a great job stepping into that role,” he said. “The girls are remaining humble. We have to respect what the competition has.”

Looking Back, Aiming Higher

Peninsula’s 2024 season was one of the best in recent program history. The Seahawks finished 14-4-1 overall and 10-1-1 in the Puget Sound League, reaching both the league and District 3/4 championship matches before falling to rival Gig Harbor.

The team entered the 3A state tournament as the No. 7 seed, losing 3-1 to No. 10 Ridgeline in the second round after earning a first-round bye.

Sutherland, named the league’s Nisqually Division MVP, led Peninsula with 15 goals and six assists. Coates was second on the team in goals, while Rogers led in assists. Together, they accounted for more than 80% of the team’s scoring.

“These three girls are special, and I think people will really enjoy watching them out there together,” Brambila said.

Goalkeeper Brooklyn Finch anchored the defense with 81 saves and a 1.5 goals-against average.

A Veteran Core

Peninsula returns a loaded roster, with eight all-league players. First Team: Sutherland, Coates, Rogers, Ada Labowitz; Second Team: Finch, Alex Cichanski, Maya Kalahiki; Honorable Mention: Kayla Adams. Earlier this year, Coates signed to play Division I soccer at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay next fall.

Labowitz, a box-to-box midfielder, is a key connector between defense and attack. Cichanski brings stability to the back line, while Kalahiki and Adams add depth and versatility in the midfield.

Brambila said last year’s young defensive unit — three freshmen and a sophomore — is now a year older, stronger, and better prepared for the pressure of playoff soccer. Finch’s leadership from goal will be crucial.

“Normally I wouldn’t want to put all that pressure on young players, but they already have so much experience,” Brambila said.

Eyes on September

The Seahawks open the 2025 season at home Sept. 8 against South Kitsap at 7:30 p.m. The first test against Gig Harbor comes 10 days later, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. The Tides will be the “home” team, though both teams play their home games at Roy Anderson Field.

Last year, Gig Harbor beat Peninsula three times, once during the regular season and twice in postseason. Brambila knows the rivalry will be intense again, but isn’t letting his team look too far ahead.

“The girls are humble about what they accomplished,” he said. “We respect what other teams are doing. Nobody’s resting, and everyone is getting better. We just have to keep working.”