The Pella Christian girls soccer squad kicks off their season in just over a week and will do so with a new leader at the helm of the program.

Matt Dowie, who served as an assistant coach for the Eagles last season, was hired as the new head coach last July. In his inaugural season, Dowie will look to improve upon the finish of last year’s team, which saw Pella Christian finish with a 9-9 record and reach the Regional Semifinals where they fell to the eventual Class 1A State Champions in Nevada. Dowie says that the squad features a mixture of girls returning to the program and newcomers and that he’s excited to begin his first season as the Eagles head coach.

“We’ve got a lot of experience coming back, it’s kind of weird where we’ve got a lot of experience, and also a lot of new faces to the program. So, a lot of enjoyment in that but a lot of talent in every level on the field, so I’m looking forward to this year.”

Dowie and the Pella Christian girls soccer team open their season at Ottumwa on Tuesday, April 1st.