Genoa girls soccer program on the cusp of doing great things

For the Genoa Comets, it’s safe to say the 2024 season was a success.
While the team didn’t go very far in the tournament — it lost, 2-0, to Oak Harbor in a Division IV district semifinal — it did go 13-3-2, winning the most games in 14 years while establishing itself as one of the top teams in the Northern Buckeye Conference.
“I would say that we had a successful season. I am very proud of all our girls and what they accomplished this season,” said Genoa coach Josiah Hanson. “They worked really hard throughout the season and played together as a team.”
Genoa had a resounding 8-0 victory over Wauseon in a sectional final.
Hanson counts victories over Maumee, Delta, Eastwood and Woodmore — all fine teams — as high points in the season. Defeating the Eagles, 3-2, early in the season was easily one of the highlights for the Comets.
“Those were some wins I was proud of,” said Hanson. "Winning a sectional title and playing in districts is always a good accomplishment and a goal we have every year. It feels good to accomplish that, and 13 wins in a season is a great number and I’m really proud of this group. It is the most wins in a season since 2010 and the most we have had in my 10 seasons as head coach. This was a really special group this year. They accomplished a lot.”
It’s a defensive-minded team that operates out of a 4-5-1 alignment, but Genoa did have some girls that scored their share of goals, namely forward Adrianna Williams, who had 25 goals and nine assists and earned first-team, league honors in the NBC, as did defender Izzy West and midfielder Ava Houghtaling.
Malani Smith, a midfielder, had 14 goals and 11 assists and was named to the second team with Lyla Edens, a defender, joining her there. Tatum Szych also contributed heavily, scoring 11 goals and 13 assists.
Perhaps the unsung hero of the group was Addi Moritz, who had 95 saves and a whopping eight shutouts. The junior set a school record by allowing just 13 goals during the regular season.
There were a number of other key contributors like the other midfielders in Jewel Alrich, Ava Houghtaling, Alison Mahler, Megan Hoeft, Kayla Boyd, Adeline Myers and Stella Rethman.
Some of the other defenders were Sophia Kruse, Izzy West, Sydney Harp, Jessica Baker, Saige Williams, Sophie Keaton, Audrey Brower and Isabel Materni.
Thirteen of the 21 players on the team were underclassmen, and many of them gained valuable experience this season.
It’s always going to be tough to win in the NBC with the likes of Lake, Oak Harbor, Maumee and Eastwood in the mix — all of whom have won a league title in the last two seasons — but the Comets have proven that they can hold their own against the best the conference has to offer.
Could Genoa take the next step and win a league or district title next season? Absolutely. But there’s a lot of work to be done between now and August.
Hanson talked about the state of the program, which appears to be in good shape.
“I would say that the program is in a good spot,” said Hanson, who was assisted by Taylor Simmons and Tatum Bradfield. “We are losing four really impactful seniors, but you will have that across all the teams in the state. We put together a really nice season and are looking forward to next year to improve even more.”
Those four seniors he’s referring to are Boyd, Baker, Brower and Hoeft, all of whom served important roles as leaders for the team this season.