Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Willow Lewis scored once and added an assist to help lead the Woodmore girls soccer team to a 2-0 win over Mansfield Christian in a Division V regional championship on Nov. 1 at Frost-Kalnow Stadium in Tiffin.
With the victory, the Wildcats (20-1-1) earned the program’s first-ever state semifinal appearance, where they’ll face Doylestown Chippewa (21-1) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Edison High School.
“They played great. They executed the game plan,” Woodmore head coach Jeff Helmke said. “They were on top of it. We talked about winning the 50-50 battles. It increased a lot since the last game, and that's what it needed to be.”
After experiencing the highs and lows of a thrilling semifinal victory, the Wildcats got a big stop early from goalkeeper Abbie Schmeltz in the championship.
After Izzy Helmke’s free kick hit the top of the crossbar 12 minutes in, the Flames (18-3-1) were fouled just outside the box, which set up a free kick for Brooklyn Rider, who had 24 goals on the season entering the contest.
Schmeltz, however, made the key save on a shot directly out in front just under 19 minutes in.
Over the next 10 minutes, Woodmore had several offensive opportunities, but Camille Strong and Lewis each had a shot saved, Helmke was whistled for a foul and an offsides on consecutive opportunities, and Emma Hahn’s shot went wide right.
That set up a fight for the ball, which Rylie Hesselbart nudged toward Lewis, who struck the ball into the top left corner of the net from 33 yards out for a 1-0 lead.
“It was so exciting,” Strong said. “We all just crashed to Willow, and we all celebrated. It's just so fun to see that.”
Emma Hahn and Kelsey Kaylor each had shots go wide over the next few minutes, and Schmeltz added another save with 90 seconds left as Woodmore took the one-goal lead at the half.
“We've had great leaders the last five years since I've been here, but this (senior) class, their work ethic is what pushes every part of our team, from the defense to the midfield to the forwards,” Jeff Helmke said. “They just grind.”
The opportunities continued in the second half. The Wildcats earned a corner kick just over one minute in, Kaylor hit the left post under a minute later, and Hesselbart had a shot saved five minutes in.
That set up Woodmore’s second goal in which Lewis lofted a pass up and over the defense for Kaylor, who deposited her 49th goal of the season into the left corner with 28:42 remaining.
Following that, Kaylor had three more shots, including one on goal. Hesselbart had a pair of shots just off frame, and Strong also had one off frame.
Meanwhile, Woodmore’s defense posted its 18th shutout of the season. They’ve allowed just six goals all year. Since a 2-2 tie against Archbold on Sept. 27, the Wildcats have won nine in a row with eight shutouts.
“Our defense is spectacular,” Jeff Helmke said. “They pride themselves. They give up a goal, and it just makes them pretty irate. They do not like to be scored on, and they're very proud of the fact of how many goals we've let.”
Strong feels like the team’s midfield play has improved, which has helped their defense, as well.
“At the start of the season we didn't like to get back and help our defense,” she said. “But now we're getting way better at that. And it's mostly just the girls playing for each other and not playing selfish.”
Meanwhile, Kaylor is one goal shy of recording the 27th 50-goal season in OHSAA history. Among those, four have achieved the feat multiple times, so the senior forward could just become just the 23rd individual to achieve the mark --- one year after missing her whole junior season due to injury.
“Our goal was to make regionals, and with Kelsey coming back in the fold, we knew we'd be more dynamic,” Jeff Helmke said. “We knew we could get other people the ball with Kelsey's attention, and the girls feed off her. The ability (she has), that not only is she going to score and be a threat, but the opportunities she creates (makes everyone else) more than willing to make the runs and be there for each other.”
Strong, meanwhile, is a senior midfielder and one of five captains on the team. She said this season has been about putting the team first.
“It's meant so much to me and the entire team because we've worked so hard,” she said. “We started in the summer just training, and then every game was the next step towards where we are today. We do it for each other, not for ourselves.
“It’s been so fun. We've had so much recognition throughout the whole entire community. Every girl has improved throughout the season, and we just keep building off of every game.”
Strong and the rest of the team will now see if they can keep the best season in program history going on Tuesday.
“It means so much,” she said. “Our school has been so excited for us. They've been encouraging us, and we've just been so excited, and hopefully we'll make the finals.”
