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Four starters returned from a Genoa girls’ soccer team that reached the district finals last year.
If the Comets hope to get that far – and possibly beyond – this season, third-year coach Mike Harder will have to rely on a very young squad to get the job done.
“Right now I'm starting five freshmen,” Harder said Monday night. “We're kind of having some growing pains this year, but I'm not making excuses. They're all travel players. But, when you graduate seven seniors and four of them were all-league, this has been quite a year.
“I wouldn't call it a rebounding year. I'd call it a reloading year.”
The Comets, who have tied Eastwood twice this fall, improved to 6-4-2 after Tuesday night's 6-0 shutout of Delta. Alexis Ortiz, Melanie Gregory, Erin Schwamberger, Elizabeth Bates, Rachael Albright and Katey Schwalbe all scored goals for Genoa, which hosted Rossford on Thursday.
The new-look Comets are also in a new conference this season, the Northern Buckeye Conference, which has six varsity girls soccer programs. Genoa played in the now-defunct Suburban Lakes League last year.
Harder's squad has outscored its opponents by a 30-23 margin this season.
“Every one of our freshmen came through either the Arsenal or Patriots travel program,” the coach said. “They're accustomed to a high level of play, but they're getting used to the physicality of the (varsity) game, the banging and the pushing. You've got 14-year-olds playing against 18-year-olds.
“There was an adjustment period, the speed and the physicality, because it's a whole different game in high school. They're coming along well and they're adjusting well.”
Albright, a senior forward, leads the Comets in scoring with 12 goals and seven assists. She has 46 career assists and needs four more to move into a four-way tie for 28th place on the Ohio High School Athletic Association's all-time career assist mark.
“Her assists have tailed off because I've asked her to be a goal scorer this year,” Harder said. “She set the school record last year for assists in a season (17). She's one of our captains and she has accepted that role of a team leader. She has a great attitude, and that's important in order to bring along the underclassmen.”
Gregory, another senior forward, has seven goals and five assists.
“She's moved from outside midfield this season, so she's been asked to take on a different role,” Harder said. “Melanie is playing outstanding. That's a pretty good combination at forward with her and Rachael.”
Schwamberger, a senior outside midfielder, has three goals and four assists and is also a team captain.
“I'm especially proud of the fact that Erin is bringing along the underclassmen,” Harder said. “Last year's captains picked her for this year, and she's done an outstanding job.”
Two of the Comets' top defenders are senior Nicole Kramer and junior Abby Karikas. Kramer has started every game since her sophomore year.
“They're both hard-nosed players,” Harder said. “Abby and Nicole are now playing the center defender position, and I have all the confidence in the world in them.”
Genoa's goalie is senior Taylor Beck, who has missed a few games with a concussion. Beck, who has 59 saves, replaced all-league goalie Kayla Pickard, who holds the school career and single-season shutout record.
“Taylor has played well,” Harder said. “She's come along well after replacing Kayla.”
Genoa, which previously competed in Division II, dropped down to Division III this season and will host the sectional tournament beginning the week of Oct. 17.
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