The sport of soccer is essentially a microcosm of life.

Team chemistry and having the innate ability to know what your colleagues/teammates are doing at any juncture can make all the difference between success and failure. The Interlake Saints, who captured the Class 3A state championship courtesy of a 1-0 win against the Garfield Bulldogs last May, have two seniors who possess unbridled team chemistry on the soccer pitch. Interlake defender Daniel Pratt and midfielder Austin Ball, who have known each other since they were 5 years old, began playing soccer together on micro soccer fields in the Bellevue area in the early 2000s.

“When we started out, it was a youth league arranged through friends at an elementary school. It started out with mini goals and was 5-on-5,” Pratt said.

The duo played on the same squad through elementary school but played on different teams in junior high. The dynamic duo reunited at Interlake as freshman in the spring of 2013.

“I love playing with Austin. He is my favorite teammate,” Pratt said of Ball.

Ball concurred with his good friend’s sentiment.

“I play (midfielder) right in front of Daniel (defender) and most of the passes I get come from Daniel. Obviously, we have been friends since we have been five. There is an unspoken connection,” Ball said.

He noted last year’s state championship is something he will never forget.

“Last year was great. So many of our fans from our school came out for our games,” Ball said. “That was probably the most support we have ever got. I hope we can live up to their expectations this year as well as our own.”

Pratt made several key stops from his defender position in last year’s state title game.

The Saints defense had to fend off a comeback bid in the final 10 minutes as Garfield unleashed a bevy of shots on Interlake’s goal.

“That was probably the hardest 10 minutes of soccer that I have experienced. I’m still out of breath,” Pratt said following the game in May 2015.

He said his squad has waited nine long months to get back on the field together as a team.

“I’m just excited to be playing again. We are going to do as good as we can and I think we are going to do pretty well,” Pratt said.