Palmer player receives surprise offer

PALMER — Shawna Thein couldn’t believe it.

Thein, who graduated from Palmer High School last month, had just played the final match of her high school soccer career, an ugly 7-0 loss to Soldotna in the first round of the Northern Lights Conference Championships. As she walked off the field, Thein thought it might have been the final match she’d ever play. But Peninsula College head coach Kanyon Anderson had other ideas.

Anderson offered Thein a position on the Pirates roster that afternoon, and Thein recently made it official by signing a National Letter of Intent to play for the Northwest Athletic Association of Community College program in Port Angeles, Wash.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Thein said recently. “He approached me after the game. He offered me pretty good money. Everything sounded awesome. He pretty much sold me right on the spot.”

Thein was stunned for a few reasons. She was also a standout on the Moose girls’ basketball team. Thein thought if she had any shot to compete in college sports it would be on the court, not the soccer field. Basketball has always been her main sport. She didn’t even start playing soccer until she was a freshman at Palmer High.

And on top of that, the only time Anderson had seen her play soccer was during that 7-0 loss to Soldotna.

Even when talking about the experience a few days ago, Thein couldn’t believe she was offered a scholarship after the loss.

“It was more about the aggressiveness I had,” Thein said.

Anderson also snagged a pair of other Valley products. Palmer’s Sierra Shelton and Colony’s Jessica Farrell will both join Thein on the Peninsula roster.

“I’m excited to get down there,” Thein said.

Even though Thein signed her NLI to play soccer, it looks like she won’t have to leave the game of basketball behind. Thein said she’s also been given permission to walk on to the Pirates women’s basketball squad.

“I’m definitely going to give it a try,” Thein said.

Thein started playing basketball in about the third grade, but waited until high school to hit the soccer field.

“It looked like fun,” Thein said. “I like to run.”

Thein was a swing player as a freshman on the soccer squad, seeing action on both the junior varsity and varsity squad. As a sophomore, she cemented herself onto the varsity roster.

On the court, Thein, a point guard, was a leader — and arguably Palmer’s best defensive player — for the last two seasons. She was named first-team All-Northern Lights Conference as a senior.

Thein said she was recruited by Yakima Community College, another NWAACC program.

She considered signing with the program that also features Ashley Swetzof, a former teammate at Palmer, and Wasilla product Shelby Fulton. She also thought about taking a break from sports and attending UAA.

But that’s before Anderson and Peninsula College made the offer. Thein said people are still surprised she’s signed an intent to play soccer.

“All my friends would have never guessed,” Thein said. “But I’m happy to get the chance to play.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.