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Pretend you're a high school soccer coach who returned virtually the same team that lost in the regional finals the previous year.
“I would assume if you talk to anybody around this area, the expectations for us are huge,” Lake girls coach Steve Hoffman said earlier this season.
Everyone expected the Flyers to win big this year, but not many people expected them to continue to compete at such a high level after senior forward Drew Plummer suffered an ACL injury less than three weeks into the season.
“We have had to overcome some adversity,” Hoffman said. “She had a knee injury that isn't permitting her to go full strength. She's tried to play through it, but she's not the Drew Plummer of old. That's one of the things we've had to overcome.”
Lake (16-1-2) still managed to win its third straight Suburban Lakes League title this season and has reached the Division II district semifinals despite Plummer missing nine games.
The Flyers' district semifinal game against league rival Genoa on Tuesday had to be postponed until Thursday due to the weather, and then the Comets won 1-0 in overtime. Mallory Murphy had the goal for Genoa, which is led by record-setting goal scorer Olivia Reeder. Genoa winner will face either Wauseon (17-1-1) or Archbold (15-1-2) for the district title. Lake handed Archbold its only loss, 1-0, on Sept. 25.
Plummer, who scored a team-high 19 goals last season and was second in the league's player-of-the-year voting to sophomore teammate Shelby Antonacci, has 10 goals and four assists in nine games.
“Drew is playing, but she's not the same Drew,” Hoffman said. “She's battling.”
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Lake senior forward Drew Plummer (19)
tries to get past a Rossford defender as
senior midfielder Jessica Abbey (5) looks
on at the Bulldog’s soccer complex. (Press
photo by John Pollock/www.pollock.smug
mug.com) |
When Plummer didn't play, her spot was filled by sophomore Rebecca Boos, who has responded with 12 goals and six assists.
“Rebecca was a defender,” Hoffman said, “but she's a great kid who will play anywhere to help the team.”
Hoffman expected a battle against Genoa (12-3-1) in the district tournament. The Comets and Flyers know each other well, with Lake routing the Comets 6-0 in the second game of the season and then barely beating Genoa 2-1 on Sept. 23.
Genoa entered the district tournament with six straight shutouts, including a 1-0 win over Woodmore in the sectional finals last Saturday.
“The first time we played them, we were just extremely focused for that game,” Hoffman said. “After we broke through, they broke down and we ended up putting up a couple extra (goals) that they normally wouldn't give up. The second game was a huge game and probably for the league crown. They had to beat us to tie for it, so we knew it would be an extremely tough game. We just tried to match their energy the whole game.”
The Flyers have been a juggernaut on offense and stout on defense all season. They've outscored their opponents by a 91-10 margin and have posted 12 shutouts.
“Our defenders and our goalie have all had a fabulous year,” Hoffman said.
Goalie Ashley Timmons (91 saves) has received outstanding protection from defenders Hannah Cox, Tara Preble and Emily Whitmore.
“Those three defenders have played three years together and they're the backbone of our team,” Hoffman said. “They're the ones who keep us in all the games. Ashley has been fabulous. She gets absolutely no credit for what she's done this year and last year. If you ask anybody on the team, she's one of the main reasons we're still alive in the tournament.”
Sophomore forward Kayla Encalado leads the Flyers with 23 goals and has added six assists.
“She's one of the kids who has really stepped it up, especially once we lost Drew,” Hoffman said. “Kayla was playing opposite Drew most of the time, and she stepped up when other teams started doubling Drew early in the season.”
Antonacci, a sophomore midfielder, has 14 goals and 12 assists and was recently named the SLL Co-Player of the Year along with Woodmore's Taylor Avers.
“Shelby has had a slightly down year (offensively), but she's been getting double-teamed quite a bit, especially with Drew out,” Hoffman said. “Everybody has stepped up the scoring. Jessica Abbey has 10 goals and seven assists, and that's awesome. We only expect four or five goals a year out of her and she's doubled that. We're still pretty dangerous even without Drew.”
Lindsay Hoffman and Kylie Hoffman have combined for 11 goals and six assists for the Flyers, who are determined to reach the regionals for the second straight year.
“The girls know what it takes to get it done,” Coach Hoffman said. “We have 17 girls back this year, and the talent left on this team still went out and won all those games without Drew.”
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