It’s hard to miss Auburn Riverside senior Kevin Wien on the soccer pitch.

This year you’ll usually find him right in the middle of the action at the center midfield spot, blond curls flying as he throws his 6-foot-1 frame into the fray, winning balls from the air and leading the Ravens’ attack.

“Kevin just has a presence,” said Auburn Riverside coach Robyn Saarenas. “When it’s time to play, it’s time to play. He will naturally impact any team that he is a part of. He’s reliable and works hard. He really just sets a bar.”

For the past three years, that’s meant setting that bar as a defender, a position that earned him an all-state selection from the Seattle Times as well as All-South Puget Sound League North 4A first-team honors.

“It’s kind of like playing the lineman role,” Wien said of his spot as a defender. “You don’t get the credit, but without them, there is no team. It’s a low-key role, which is more me. You’re the last person back. There is more responsibility.”

This year, however, responsibility has a different shape for Wien.

Instead of his usual defender spot, Wien is now the team’s center midfielder.

Initially, Saarenas said, she was worried about moving Wien from his natural position.

“In his role currently, he’s being asked to come out from his comfort zone,” she said.

However, the Ravens’ need for an offensive leader up front made the move necessary, Saarenas said.

“The reality was that we weren’t getting scored on, but we weren’t scoring goals,” she said. “So we just needed his offensive punch.”

For the first few games this season, Saarenas would wait until the half to move Wien up from defender.

“We were letting the game dictate that,” Saarenas said. “But we were doing it every game. At this point, we need him in the midfield. He wins balls out of the air and tackles well. He can still do what he did at defense, just 5 or 10 yards up.”

Off to a good start

So far this season, it’s paying off for the 3-2-2 Ravens, with Wien notching two goals and three assists.

And although Wien has been impacting the team on the field, Saarenas said it’s his leadership as a co-captain that’s been crucial.

“He’s a great, coachable kid and a lot of fun to have on the team,” Saarenas said. “He’s the type of kid you want younger kids to look up to and strive to be like, mostly because of his maturity.”

Last season, the senior heavy Ravens fell just shy of the state playoffs with a 4-0 loss to Bellarmine at the district tournament.

With 11 seniors gone this year, however, it’s a whole new team.

“Last year was disappointing,” Wien said. “But I think we had a different group of guys last year. I think we’ve got a better group of guys this year. I think we’re just better this year, maybe not in results, but as a team. I think we have better attitudes this year. “

In addition to Wien’s contributions, senior co-captain and defender Sean Norgard – an All-SPSL North 4A honorable mention last year – also is proving to be a key player.

“Sean has stepped up in the back for us,” Saarenas said. “His natural strength is his leadership vocally. As we moved Kevin up, Sean started organizing everybody. It was kind of a natural transition going on there.”

Between the pipes the team looks to a pair of sophomore goalkeepers –  Trevor Larson and Adrian Ocun.

“They’ve both done a very nice job, so right now we’re splitting time between them,” Saarenas said. “(Larson) has made some really amazing saves for us, some fingertip stuff that has saved games for us. I’m really comfortable with our goalkeepers. They’re the reason I’ve been comfortable moving Kevin up.”

Up front, the team the team has relied on forwards Mark Kavanaugh (two assists and a goal) and Yanni Hernandez (four goals) to fill the gap until returners Connor Guiterrez and John Monroy become eligible next week.

“We haven’t touched on our scoring potential yet, although our two guys up front (Hernandez and Kavanaugh) have done a great job,” Saarenas said.

Approaching midseason,  the Ravens look to continue to improve in order to reach their goal of a postseason berth.

“We’re a work in progress,” Saarenas said. “We graduated a large group last year. But I like where we’re at. We can fight for a playoff spot, but there are some teams, strong team out there. We’re just going to do good the second time around, better than the first time around.”