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10/12/2017 12:00 AMSenior Bonnie Caulfield is making her presence known in the backfield for the Valley Regional girls’ soccer team. Bonnie’s defensive prowess is one of the reasons why she was named a senior captain for the Warriors. Her skills also allow Valley to run a formation that only features three defenders, whereas most teams go with four. Bonnie’s style is to play physical and pester her opponents as they infiltrate the Warriors’ zone. She developed that technique as a way to compensate for her late start in the sport of soccer.
“Part of the reason I started playing defense was that, when I started, I didn’t have foot skills. So I naturally became a physical player and really aggressive,” says Bonnie, an Essex resident. “It made me very competitive that I started behind everyone else, but I am a very physical player. It’s instinctual for me to be defensive. Not so much to try to score, but prevent the other team from scoring. I love it.”
Bonnie patrols the defensive end of the pitch with her sister Jeni Caulfield and her close friend and fellow senior captain Sydney Suedmeier. Bonnie believes that the trio’s familiarity with each other helps them function better as a unit.
“I’m on the right, and my sister is on the left. It’s just easier to play with my sister and Sydney, who’s like a sister, because it’s easier to communicate,” Bonnie says. “We’re comfortable with each other. It’s good to know that we have each others’ backs and work well together. We know that when one of us is stepping to the ball, the other will get behind to back up.”
As senior captains, Bonnie and Suedmeier have to make sure that everyone on the Warriors is on the same page. Bonnie takes that responsibility seriously.
“I think that as captains it’s our job to motivate the girls both on the field and at practice. During the game, the coach can’t be on the field to motivate and lead the team,” says Bonnie. “We have to motivate everyone to work hard in practice. We have to be the role models, so that the girls see us work hard, and they will follow that example. We have to get everyone going and get excited for the game, and we have to be friends to the girls off of field as much as on the field.”
Warriors’ Head Coach Lloyd Warren appreciates the strong defense and solid leadership that Bonnie provides for his squad. Warren remembers when Bonnie was still new to soccer while playing alongside her sister, and he wanted both of them to join his more competitive team.
“She’s a great teammate. I’ve had the opportunity to work with her the last few years. I was running a clinic for the Valley Soccer Club, and I met Bonnie and Jeni at the club program, which is more recreational. I saw something there, and I said, ‘These kids need to come play travel,’” Warren says. “She’s an athlete, and it didn’t take much to get her on the field. She ended up being a strong presence that spring season. She readied herself for the high school season. She doesn’t have a ton of experience in the game, but she more than makes up for that with her heart and her desire to do well. She’s a good role model. There aren’t many girls that work as hard as she does.”
Bonnie always focuses on the next game on the Warriors’ schedule. Valley is vying to get back to the Shoreline Conference and State tournaments this year, and Bonnie believes the Warriors can make it if they concentrate on the contest that’s in front of
“Everyone wants to win the Shoreline championship. As a team, we’re focusing on going game by game and trying to perform to the best of our abilities,” she says. “With harder teams, you’re not always going to win, but we want to make sure we give 100 percent.
Bonnie appreciates the support that her mother Meg, her father Mike, and her siblings Jeni, Kaleigh, and Dan given her. She also thanks Suedmeier for being like a sister to her through the years, as well as Coach Warren for his guidance.
As for the rest of this season, Bonnie wants to help Valley win a title, although it’s more important to her that she and her teammates look back fondly on their time together on the soccer field.
“Not everything comes down to winning that championship. It’s a goal we want to achieve. It’s not as important to win those titles as it is to enjoy the season,” says Bonnie. “We will always be able to look back and we want it to be a positive experience. If we win along the way, that’s great. We want to do that, but we just have to take it game by game.”