It has been quite a year for Kyla Hoskins.

The Olathe, Kan., native played in 17 games for Creighton University, notching a goal and an assist, and that included 51 minutes in the Blue Jays’ NCAA Tournament opener against the University of Southern California.

USC went on to win the NCAA championship.

Now she finds herself playing for the Maine Tide in the Women’s Premier Soccer League.

She has been a productive player for the Tide, playing left back or as a flank midfielder.

“She has played very, very well,” said Tide assistant coach Seth Brown. “She’s calm and collected, she’s technical and she has a very good work ethic. When she gets forward, she’s very quick. And she’s a really neat kid.”

Center back Laura Harrison said Hoskins has been a “good addition in the back. She has a lot of speed and makes runs up the line for us.”

Hoskins, who will be a junior at Creighton in the fall, has embraced the challenge of playing in a new league in a new state.

“It’s been different. It’s good to have new experiences and play with different people. I’ve been getting used to everyone’s styles. This has been a real good opportunity. It will really help going into preseason [at Creighton] in August. We have 12 incoming freshmen and I’m going to have to learn their style of play as well.”

She said the caliber of the league has been impressive.

“The top teams in the league, Soccer Plus, the New England Mutiny and AC Diablos, are definitely comparable to USC,” said Hoskins.

The Tide is 2-4 but they have already played undefeated Soccer Plus twice and one game apiece against the Mutiny and AC Diablos.

She feels the team is coming around and she is expecting more out of herself the rest of the season.

“I’ve done well but I can see myself doing better. I’d like to get more assists and get up the field a little bit more. There are definite areas I can improve on over the second half,” said Hoskins.

She is enjoying her time in Maine, saying, “It’s been nice. People are really nice and I like the field.”

Hoskins, who has had to adjust to the cooler temperatures, feels the team has a good chance at cracking the top four and making the playoffs and expects the work they have devoted to their attack in practice to pay off.

Head coach Graham Chandler will join the team on a full-time basis later this week and that will help. He had prior commitments and had been joining the team on weekends.

“We should be clicking soon,” said Hoskins.

The Tide and their male counterparts, the Maine Sting, will play Friday night’s road games against the Boston Aztecs at Scarborough High School as part of the Region 1 soccer festivities in the Greater Portland area.

The games were scheduled to be played in Massachusetts.

The men will play at 5 p.m. with the women to follow at 7:15 p.m.

The men will then go to Buffalo, N.Y., to play Queen City on Saturday while the women will visit the New England Mutiny in Agawam, Mass.

The women will be without former University of Maine striker Laura Harper (illness) and back Becky Ferguson (knee). Ferguson has returned to Georgia and is lost for the season.

Sting still looking for first win

Maine Sting striker Andy Varnes of Sheffield, England and back Stephen Grooms of Prattville, Ala., feel it’s just a matter of time before they get their first National Premier League win.

The Sting are 0-1-2 with a pair of 1-1 ties.

“Once we get that first win under our belts, we’ll be fine,” said Varnes. “Things get a lot easier after that.”

The Sting received a last-second goal from Andre Anderson to tie Queen City last Saturday.

The Sting dominated play but couldn’t convert until stoppage time.

“That was a good momentum builder for us. That brought a lot of our heads up,” said Grooms.

lmahoney@bangordailynews.net

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