Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
The Woodmore girls soccer team advanced to the Division V state semifinals behind a one-goal, one-assist performance from Willow Lewis in a 2-0 victory over Mansfield Christian on Nov. 1 at Frost-Kalnow Stadium in Tiffin.
Once there, the Wildcats (20-2-1) had their chances, but lost 1-0 to Doylestown Chippewa in a Nov. 4 state semifinal at Edison High School’s Freedom Field.
Despite that, Woodmore can relish in the fact that they just completed the best season in program history — racking up a record 20 wins, breaking several other team and individual records, and winning the regional championship for the first time.
“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,” Woodmore head coach Jeff Helmke said following the regional final victory. “They just grind.”
In the preseason, Woodmore saw the return of Kelsey Kaylor, who missed all of the previous year due to injury. She was an offensive force for the Wildcats, recording 49 goals and finishing just one shy of becoming just the 23rd player in OHSAA history with at least 50 in a season.
“Our goal was to make regionals, and with Kelsey coming back in the fold, we knew we'd be more dynamic,” 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.”
After experiencing a roller coaster of emotions in a 3-2 double overtime victory over Archbold in the regional semifinal, Lewis got Woodmore on the board first against Mansfield Christian (18-3-1) in the final.
A fight for possession led to Rylie Hesselbart passing the ball to Lewis, who struck the ball into the top left corner of the net from 33 yards out with 7:58 left in the first half.
“It was so exciting,” Woodmore senior Camille Strong said. “We all just crashed to Willow, and we all celebrated. It's just so fun to see that.”
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.
“They played great. They executed the game plan,” 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.”
Meanwhile, Woodmore’s defense posted its 18th shutout of the season. They allowed just seven goals all year, including the state semifinal. They had taken a nine-game winning streak, which included eight shutouts, into their final game.
“Our defense is spectacular,” 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.”
In the state semifinal, though, Woodmore faced a Doylestown Chippewa squad that had allowed just four goals all season.
Kaylor nearly made it five just under three minutes in, but her shot was deflected and saved by the keeper just before crossing the line. Myren West then gave Doylestown Chippewa the lead with 28:53 left in the half, depositing a shot over the leaping arms of Woodmore’s keeper, Abbie Schmeltz.
From there, Woodmore had their opportunities to tie, but luck wasn’t on their side.
Three minutes after West’s goal, a foul led to a free kick for Woodmore from 50 yards out, which led to a scramble in front of the box, and Addison Pleasnick’s shot was just wide right on a follow up after the ball was temporarily cleared.
With 19:30 left in the half, a Woodmore corner kick led to a missed header, resulting in a far side throw in. Lewis crossed a ball with 14:45 left, which bounced off the diving goalkeeper, but the rebound opportunity was cleared away.
Schmeltz made a diving save with 13:45 left, and a rebound shot hit the left post before Schmeltz corralled a left-to-right cross. Doylestown Chippewa then had its best chance at a two-goal lead, but a shot ping-ponged up and down off the crossbar after getting past Schmeltz, who then snagged it.
Schmeltz, who was a star for Woodmore in keeping the game close, made a save a little over two minutes into the second half. She then added a leaping save, which went into a corner kick for Doylestown Chippewa two minutes later, and she saved two more shots over the next few minutes. She finished with 12 saves.
Around 10 minutes into the half, Woodmore had a chance to tie it, but a header was saved after a scramble in front of the net following a deflection off the keeper on a free kick from 50 yards out.
Kaylor had a shot sail just high from 14 yards out with 16 minutes left.
Strong felt like the team’s midfield play improved throughout the year, which helped their defense.
“At the start of the season we didn't like to get back and help our defense,” she said following the regional final victory. “But now we're getting way better at that. And it's mostly just the girls playing for each other and not playing selfish.”
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.
“(This season has) 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.”
