Last year at this time, the Auburn Mountainview girls soccer team was not a happy bunch.

After a regular season spent slogging through South Puget Sound League 3A competition, the Lions lost their last two games and their chance to play in the postseason.

“We tied with Enumclaw and played the last game against them,” said fourth-year coach Cary Davidson.

The Lions were unable to beat the Hornets – ending the season in fifth place, just four points from a playoff berth.

“It kind of left a bad taste in their mouth knowing they were so close,” Davidson said.

For the Lions, however, the bad taste soon was replaced by a sense of hopefulness and purpose.

“Right off the bat after the loss, they were already talking about this season,” Davidson said.

“It definitely motivated us a lot,” senior captain Kelly Voss said. “Being that close and wanting to go (to the playoffs) so bad, it was a huge goal for us this season to make the playoffs.”

“It has motivated us a lot,” junior goalkeeper Deanna Colburn agreed. “We really wanted to step it up and make it to state.”

This season, Auburn Mountainview has played like a team on a mission.

The Lions currently are 5-3 in the SPSL 3A, sitting just ahead of Enumclaw in third place with 15 points. With four playoff spots up for grabs, the Lions (11-4-1 overall) will play either Lindbergh or Hazen on Wednesday in the first round of the postseason at Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner, depending on the the outcome of last Thursday’s Enumclaw-White River game (results unavailable at press time).

But the big surprise for the Lions has not been the determination to return to the postseason.

It’s the way they are doing it.

“All our expectations coming into this year was that we’d like to make the playoffs,” Davidson said. “But nobody thought we were going to be that good defensively and score that many goals.”

In the regular season, the Lions scored 36 goals in 16 games and allowed opponents to find the net just eight times. The team also notched 12 shutouts.

Not bad for a team that lost five seniors, including its leading scorer and current Eastern Washington University player, Kristen Fausko.

“This is the first year that we haven’t had obvious first-team, all-league-type players, girls who were seniors and getting ready to go play in college,” Davidson said. “We didn’t have that this year.”

Instead of relying on star athletes, Davidson said his group has relied on teamwork and the system, a pro-style offense that relies on ball movement and keeping everyone involved.

“The biggest thing I think, more than any other team that I’ve coached, is that they just play really well together,” Davidson said. “We play a college and pro style with zone defending. We don’t man-mark anybody. When we get the ball, we attack with numbers, just like we defend with numbers.”

The system has resulted in a lot of frustration on the part of opponents, Davidson said.

“It’s hard for other teams to defend against us, because we come at them from all angles. And we can play that style because they’re so smart and coachable. They get it.”

In addition, Davidson said the team’s confidence has soared.

“They started playing well right off the bat and I think that led to them playing pretty confident straight off the bat,” he said.

For the players, the results this season have been no surprise because they believed in each other.

“I really had no idea what to expect,” Voss said. “We had five great seniors last year that were great leaders. We knew it would be tough, but I knew we’d be OK because we’ve got some good juniors and younger players, a couple of seniors who help me out.”

“We knew we had some returners, but we also knew it would be difficult without our leading scorer,” Colburn added. “But I knew some of the girls would step up and they did. Some of the young girls have stepped up as well. So I really expected us to play well this season.”

Another key aspect of Auburn Mountainview’s success has been the play of Colburn, a junior with just one year of full-time goalkeeping experience behind her.

“She wasn’t really a goalkeeper. She played some,” Davidson said.

Colburn stepped up between the pipes as a sophomore and notched five shutouts. This season, she has 12.

“She wasn’t real confident and a little shaky last year,” Davidson said.

Not this year, though. According to Davidson, Colburn blossomed this season into one of the best goalies in the league, making up for her lack of height and size with sheer tenacity.

“She’s not very tall, but she’s very tough and aggressive,” Davidson said. “You have to beat her with a pretty good shot. And she’s a year older and smarter. She’s just a good kid, all about team. She’ll do anything for her teammates.”

In fact, Colburn credits the defense for her success.

“The big difference is that my defense really stepped up this year,” she said. “And I think I’m more confident. And I think that the team is playing more as a team. And also they’re more confident. That has made a difference.”

Whether it’s enough of a difference to get the team back to the state tournament, where the Lions were one of the last 16 teams playing in 2006, will play out over the next two weeks.

The SPSL 3A/Seamount league playoffs begin Wednesday, with the West Central District tourney beginning next Saturday.

“I think we have a legitimate shot of getting past the West Central District,” Davidson said.