(Longview, WA) -- It will be an entirely different look for Lower Columbia College women's soccer in 2025.

Successful head coach Joe Chicks has taken his talents to Yankton, South Dakota as the new head coach at NAIA Mount Marty University.  Coach Chicks will have a lot of familiar faces at his new school.

15 players with LCC ties are on the Mount Marty roster, including 5 LCC signees.  Elyse Akimoto, Val Ruiz, Eleanor Haslam, Kiersten Ostnes and Elle Jones opted to follow Chicks.  LCC freshmen who also followed Chicks include Baylee Beck, Kari Pate, Shakira Nolasco, Angelica Hopwood and Avery Kimball.  Four Red Devils who played two outstanding seasons will also further their college careers at Mount Marty including Rhyli Grim, Mika Moreira, Alyssa Rios and Alexia Valdez.

Despite all of that, the 2025 Red Devils are far from conceding anything this season.

First year head coach Steven Evans takes over and he expects his new team to compete right away.

The Devils will have talent, although the roster will be much smaller than the past three years when LCC won three consecutive West Region titles.

Returning for their sophomore season are Ava Gibbs and Kate Durfey.  Both were key contributors to last year's squad.

Signees who kept their commitment to Lower Columbia include McKenna Geffre (Graham Kapowsin), Maylee Reynolds (Nibley, UT), Addison Hartley (R.A. Long Longview) and Payton Bullmore (Flagstaff AZ).

Evans was hired last spring and he sprung into action to complete the 18 person roster.

Newcomers include Dea Covarrubias (Vancouver Skyview), Zoe Ernst (Port Angeles), Raelie Guizzotti (Mark Morris Longview), Elizabeth Pfaff (R.A. Long), Shelby Poland (Meridian ID), Anabelle Rogers (Ridgefield, WA), Sam Roundtree (Montesano, WA), Lydia Tobin (Adna, WA), Parker Tuttle (Union Camas), Haley Loll (Battle Ground, WA), Cassandra Cleland (Dayton, NV), and Hope Gould (Toledo, WA).

Evans was an accomplished player for the University of Portland and had a stint with the Portland Timbers.  He proved his coaching prowess as an assistant at Portland followed by back-to-back WIAA 2A State titles as head coach of the Ridgefield girls team..

He has been impressed with the early training and is looking forward to his first season as a college head coach.  "We have a great group of positive young women and they have been working hard", said Evans.  "We all know we have a lot of work to do, but this should be a really enjoyable season.  We have the talent to compete and we plan on putting in the work."

Joining Evans coaching staff is former LCC head coach Max Anderson. Anderson has excelled as a coach at LCC and at R.A. Long High School.  Brady Anderson will also join the coaching staff and will bring a fresh perspective.

Former head coach and long time assistant Harlan Cruser has retired.  Cruser, an LCC Hall of Fame member, was instrumental in keeping the program connected during the coaching change.

The Devils open the season with a tough two-game road trip. The Devils take on Walla Walla Friday August 15th at 2 pm.  The Devils then play NWAC power Columbia Basin at 12 pm Saturday August 16th in Pasco.