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MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield High School girls soccer team lost 11 seniors from last year’s squad and with a lot of players seeing the field for their first taste of meaningful varsity action, the early days of the season will give veteran head coach Steve Lindner a good idea of what he has in terms of talent, leadership and cohesiveness.
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Marshfield sophomore Abby Ongna was a first-team all-Wisconsin Valley Conference selection in 2021. (Submitted photo)
The Tigers won two of three games at the Urbana (Ill.) Tournament last weekend and hope to ride that wave into their Wisconsin Valley Conference season, which opens with a pair of home games against Merrill on Tuesday and Wausau East on Thursday.
Senior co-captains Sophia Gruenling and Ava Sainterme have done a great job with helping lead the team to date, Lindner said, and their on-field leadership will be counted on during the season.
Marshfield returns seven players who started or were in the rotation in 2021, when the Tigers finished 8-8 overall and 6-6 in the Wisconsin Valley Conference, losing in a WIAA Division 2 regional final to Rhinelander.
Sainterme returns after splitting time in goal last year and is joined by forward Avery Weister, midfielders Gruenling, Abby Ongna, and Hayden Berger, and defenders Ainsley Hall and Samantha Kilty.
Others that saw some action last year that are also back include defenders Devin Miller, Cassandra Langfoss and Serenity Paisley, forwards Presley Franklin and Grace Taylor, and midfielder Makenzie Schreiner.
Gruenling and Weister each scored six goals in 2021.
Ongna returns after earning first-team all-Wisconsin Valley Conference honors last season and will be a key in the middle of the field for the Tigers.
“She is a strong player no matter where we put her,” Lindner said.
Also in the middle will be Maddie Nikolai, who missed last season due to injury, but is hungry to see action this season, and has looked good in practice, according to Lindner. She will start as defensive midfielder. Makenzie Tesmer will also be vying for minutes at mid and forward this season.
“We have some great young players that have really put in the work during the offseason and look to contribute this season,” Lindner said. “Lauryn Katzenberger will split time at mid and forward, Lauren Homolka will also see minutes at forward. Hadlee Hall will get an opportunity to contribute at mid, and defensively Mia Preston and Kailyn Kurth will work on the defensive end. Two goalies, Ella Allar and Payton Bremer. will play backup to Ava and get minutes this year.”