Wildcats girls soccer looking to get over the proverbial hump

Press Sports Editor
sports@presspublications.com

Close calls – that’s been the reality facing Woodmore in recent years.
In three of the last four seasons, the Wildcats have lost by just one goal — including one in double overtime and another in a shootout — in the tournament, bowing out twice in the district finals and once in the regional finals. Last season, Woodmore fell to familiar foe Eastwood, 3-2, in double overtime in a district final, a step back from 2022 where the Wildcats won their second district championship and lost to Ottawa-Glandorf, 1-0, in a regional final. In 2021, Woodmore fell to Lake, 3-1, in a district semifinal, which was preceded the year before by a 3-2 loss in a shootout to Eastwood in a district final.
After losing in the sectional final in 2019, the Wildcats rebounded to win a sectional title the next year before losing, 3-2, in a shootout to Eastwood in the district finals.
Woodmore coach Jeff Helmke, in his fifth season with the program, including the last four as the head coach, talked about the fine line between winning and losing in the postseason.
“We like to talk about one play – we use the one play motto,” he said. “The extra effort, the extra run, the one-goal games – we’ve seen it already three times this season.”
He’s referencing two 1-0 losses to Evergreen and Norwalk, respectively, and a 0-0 tie with Oak Harbor in the opener.
The Wildcats, who are 3-2-1 and 2-1-0 in the Sandusky Bay Conference, have defeated Edison (5-1), Huron (8-0) and Eastwood (2-0).
“We could be 6-0, which is a little bit of a downer,” said Helmke.
The goalkeepers are Kara Schneider and Abbie Schmeltz. Schneider is a dual-sport athlete and also plays volleyball. When she doesn’t play, Schmeltz fills in. Both have played very well this season, allowing a total of three goals in six matches.
“Both of them are doing a great job,” Helmke said.
In the 4-3-3 alignment, Alivia Smith, Addie Pleasnick, Kiera Travis, Taylor Hill, Megan Vogelpohl and Kalle Heins rotate in at defender.
“The defense is doing a great job,” said Helmke.
The midfielders are Camille Strong, Rylie Hesselbart, Izzy Helmke and Karli Heins.
The forwards are Emma Hahn, Willow Lewis, Bailey Meggitt and Valerie Kerecz. Hill also sees some action at forward as does Kalle Heins.
As you can see, Jeff Helmke has a versatile group of athletes.
“Taylor Hill is a great athlete,” Helmke said. “Valerie has a great engine and is a smart soccer player, and Kalle Heins is strong. Many of our athletes play multiple positions. We’re rotating starters in for different looks.”
In the win over Eastwood, Hill assisted on both goals, which came from Lewis and Kalle Heins, and Schneider shut out the Eagles.
“It was a great win. Anytime you can beat a team of their caliber, it’s a lift for the season,” Helmke said. “They are one of the best teams around every year.”
In the 10-team SBC, Helmke knows his club can compete with bigger schools.
“I think our team can compete for an SBC title and get to regionals,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do, but there’s enough talent to be a regional team again.”
Helmke talked about how the Wildcats can get better.
“I feel like there’s still a lot of growing. Defensively, we’re very good, but offensively, the growth needs to come, especially patience,” he said. “That comes with being a young team. We outshot our opponents in the two losses. We’re just having a little trouble putting the ball in the net.”
Lewis leads the team with four goals and five assists while Hesselbart, Meggitt and Kalle Heins have two goals apiece and Hills has four assists.
Woodmore lost key players from every line. The record-setting goalie, Layla McGinnis, graduated, as did Sage Perry, a defender, and Caydie Buchanan, a midfielder. Kelsey Kaylor, a forward, scored 40 goals last season, a school record, but tore her ACL over the summer.
Right now, there are five former Wildcats playing soccer in college. Buchanan is at Tiffin University, McGinnis is playing at Owens Community College, Sage Perry is at Baldwin-Wallace University, Autumn Beaudoin plays at Bethel University in Indiana and Alayna Hahn is at Heidelberg University.