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Malcolm Edge knows soccer.
The first-year Woodmore girls’ soccer coach, a native of Sheffield, England, started playing soccer at age 4. As a
goalkeeper, he was signed to a professional schoolboy contract at 14.
With that background, Edge was smart enough to know he had to mold this year's Wildcats based on their strengths.
“Our team is based upon speed at all positions,” Edge said. “The hallmark of my team is, we play through midfield and get the ball through the channels to my center-forwards, and they've scored 51 goals between them. We control the ball at midfield and get the ball into the box as quickly as possible from the wings. We've got speed in abundance, so I knew going into this season I had to have a team built around speed and ball control.”
Woodmore, which improved to 11-2-1 with Tuesday's 6-4 win over Van Buren, hosts defending Suburban Lakes League champion Lake on Thursday. The Wildcats lost in a pouring rain at Lake, 1-0, on Sept. 16. The Flyers (11-0-1) also beat the 'Cats in the Division II sectional semifinals last season.
Edge, however, hopes his team learned a thing or two in its previous loss to Lake. The Wildcats learned their lesson in two meetings against Genoa this season. Woodmore lost to the visiting Comets 2-1 on Sept. 9, but beat Genoa 3-2 on the road last Saturday.
“We have gotten better and we're playing better as a team,” Edge said. “We were undefeated when Genoa came to Woodmore, and Genoa probably deserved to win that night. They were up for the game and they scored with about five minutes to go. We used that game as a base for last Saturday's game. We were more mature and better prepared for that game, and the girls were up and ready for the game. The girls went to Genoa intending to win, and they did.”
The 'Cats use a 4-4-2 formation to take advantage of their team speed. Woodmore (5-2 SLL) has outscored its 14 opponents by an 81-15 margin. Avers, a junior center-forward who netted five goals in a 12-1 rout of Clyde, leads Woodmore with 27 goals, a school single-season record.
“She's got incredible speed and she is very intelligent,” Edge said. “She knows where the open spaces are and she's so fast, she can get into the ball real quickly. Once she's in front of or behind the defense, she doesn't get caught. She's very good in front of the goal, and a lot of her goals come on one-on-ones with the keeper.”
Senior center-forward Jessica Wolfe (24 goals) is the other half of Woodmore's dynamic scoring duo. Edge said
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Woodmore's girls soccer team held a
“Shoot for the Cure” match on Sept.
25 to raise money in the fight against
breast cancer. The Wildcats beat Otsego
7-0. “We sold pink T-shirts and sold
things at the stadium that night,” Coach
Malcolm Edge said. “The girls turned out
in pink, with pink shirts and pink laces.”
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Wolfe uses her strength to her advantage.
“She makes a great tandem with Taylor,” Edge said. “Taylor has speed and is more of a finesse player. Jessica uses her strength more and is what I would call a garbage goal scorer. She picks up the rebound and scores very close in.”
Senior Bailey Ulinski has been a pleasant surprise this season. Ulinski, who finished 86th at last year's D-III state cross country meet, is in her first year playing high school soccer.
“She was in cross country, but she came to me at the beginning of the season,” Edge said. “She's become one of the most important cogs in the wheel. She plays in the back four, and what's great about Bailey is she has tremendous speed. Any mistakes she makes, she can compensate by getting back to get the ball.”
Leah Henry, a freshman right wing, and sophomore middle-back Shannon O'Connor have eight and seven goals, respectively, while junior left wing Cassandra Heidebrink and sophomore left wing Karlie Keaton have four goals apiece. Senior midfielder Brittany Linke has three goals.
“Brittany is having a tremendous season,” Edge said. “We felt our success was going to be based on how strong we were at midfield, and she's having a fantastic season. Everything we do goes through her. She really is the midfield general or my team.”
Junior fullback Brittney Wolford has played a huge role on defense, according to Edge.
“She's a very underrated player,” the coach said. “She kind of goes about her game and doesn't stand out a lot, but she makes tremendous contributions to the team. A very strong, skillful player.”
The 'Cats begin sectional tournament play Oct. 20 at Genoa.
“I truly believe we can get to the sectional final this year,” Edge said. “I have to make the assumption we're going to be playing Lake. If I prepare the team right, anything can happen. If this team's going to do it, this is the year. This is the strongest team Woodmore has had.”
Pic-cutline
Woodmore's girls soccer team held a “Shoot for the Cure” match on Sept. 25 to raise money in the fight against breast cancer. The Wildcats beat Otsego 7-0. “We sold pink T-shirts and sold things at the stadium that night,” Coach Malcolm Edge said. “The girls turned out in pink, with pink shirts and pink laces.”
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