This story is sponsored by Dental Clinic of Marshfield
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – First-year Marshfield girls soccer head coach Steve Lindner welcomes back 15 players from a team that won just three games and was blanked in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.
This could be looked as a bad thing or a good one, considering the lack of success last season. Lindner has chosen the latter, as he said he has witnessed improvement to go along with that experience, and is excited to begin the 2011 season Friday with a nonconference game at Chippewa Falls.
“We had a lot of games that we lost 1-0 and 2-0 – our defense was very consistent,” said Lindner, who served as an assistant coach last season. “With five defensive players coming back, they are our nucleus. They are the strong part of our team.
“We’ve been concentrating on shooting and offensive skills. We have some talented freshmen coming in that really are going to add to our offensive scoring.”
Despite allowing a league-high 37 goals in conference action, the biggest problem last season for the Tigers, who finished 3-18-2 overall and 0-12 in the WVC, was a lack of offense. Marshfield scored just six goals in conference play.
Forwards Courtney Thumann, Allison Gruen (honorable mention all-WVC last year), Carli Specht, Taylor Asplin and Emily Wolfe return, and will be joined by promising freshman Darian Molter on the front line. The Tigers also welcome back midfielders Emily Haws, Maddie Smith, Emily Brix and Abigail Brock. Freshman Walker Guzowski and senior Kirsty Fahey also are in the mix.
The strong group of returning players, along with the two freshmen who are expected to contribute, provide the potential for some added punch.
“Hopefully this year we’ll be able to step it up,” Asplin said. “Our stats last year – our shots on goal and goals made were low. Hopefully we can bring that up this year. We have a good number of forwards this year and a really strong defense. Everything is just that much better.”
Defensively, seniors Aislinn Koehler, Sarah Wolff and Alyssa Brenner (honorable mention all-WVC last year) – three of the four team captains, along with Asplin – are the keys to a squad that looks to ramp up its play when the other team has the ball. Sophomores Megan Marotz and Leah Cherney, and senior Amy Voight will also be part of the defense in front of goalies Kassi Todryk and Naomi Crump, both returning seniors.
“We definitely are being more aggressive and our skill level has increased,” Koehler said. “Especially the upcoming freshmen, we are all stepping up our game. The freshmen are strong players and are on offense, so I’m really looking to see their skill and how they incorporate into the team.”
A big improvement Lindner said he has seen isn’t just in the talent level, it is in the girls’ attitudes, work ethic and that they expect to win.
“The girls have been showing a competitive nature and a high level of effort, and I can’t say we’ve had one bad day of practice,” said Lindner, whose team will play outside for the first time Friday in its season opener. “The girls all have high expectations, and that’s different than last year. It’s a different mindset. They have high aspirations to do well in the conference and be in the top three or four in the conference.”
The Tigers will get their season into full swing next week when they play six games in five days. Marshfield opens its Wisconsin Valley season with road games at Wausau West on April 12 and Wausau East on April 14 before playing its home opener April 15 against Medford. The Tigers will travel back to Wausau West for a tournament on April 16.
“I’m really hopeful this year, with a new coach and the just the attitudes of the girls,” Koehler said. “I am really excited to see what’s in store for us.”