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HS girls soccer: NIC trio look for more success this fall

scott davidson, south bend tribune
·6 min read

The trio of Marian, Saint Joseph and Penn have been the dominate forces on the local high school girls soccer pitch for quite some time.

The three Northern Indiana Conference and state powers aim to continue that trend this fall.

Marian won the NIC title at 4-0 a season ago and concluded an 19-2-1 season with a 1-0 loss to Leo in a Class 2A semistate match.

The Knights, who were ranked No. 3 in the Class 2A preseason poll, do have some question marks for the 2023 campaign. Star junior Daisy Moody, who had 25 goals and 10 assists in 2022 and was second team All-State, injured her knee in the offseason and is expected to miss the season. Senior Mia Veldman, who was also All-State a season ago, transferred to Saint Joe. Veldman had three goals and 16 assists last season.

Rankings: Early season high school rankings coming out. See how South Bend-area teams stack up

"The biggest thing with our team is the camaraderie of our team," said Marian coach Henry Vu of his impressions of his 2023 unti. "There is a lot of trust with each other as we got each other's back. There is no ego on the team.

"As a team, we are still pretty raw and we have more room to grow. We are blessed to have some very experienced players who have played in the biggest games in the state (i.e. State Finals, multiple semi-state/regional/sectional finals, big NIC Conference games)."

The Knights, who were Class 2A state runner up in 2021, will be led by the likes of Quinn Pankiewicz, JoJo Murphy and goalie Abby Weaver. Juniors Pankiewicz and Murphy were both second-team All-NIC choices in 2022.

West Lafayette's Lauren Kovich (17) grabs Marian’s JoJo Murphy (3) during the Marian vs. West Lafayette regional championship soccer game Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022 at Marian High School.
West Lafayette's Lauren Kovich (17) grabs Marian’s JoJo Murphy (3) during the Marian vs. West Lafayette regional championship soccer game Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022 at Marian High School.

Vu expects his program to continue its tradition of success.

"We have had the same expectations for this team for the last few years," Vu said. "We want to keep growing from every training session and from every game. We have to be focused on the next training or game and not worry about the future. We need to remain in the present. Our main goal is to become the best team we can be. To be the best team, our focus needs to remain on being the best teammate we can be.

"One of the main keys to success for our team is one of our program sayings:  to remain humble and remain hungry. It is easy to become complacent after some very successful seasons. How quickly and successfully the integration of our less experienced returning members and our freshmen into our system and in understanding our principles will be vital to our success. For example, can we get our defensive backline on the same page with our shape, movement, and communication."

Saint Joe poised to continue excellence

Saint Joe coach Phil DePauw expects his talented side to be one of the premier squads around again this fall.

"Our program holds itself to a high standard as we look to again be an elite program not just in this region but in the state," said DePauw in the preseason.

Saint Joe went 15-4 overall in a 2022 season that ended with a double penalty kick shootout loss to Penn in a Class 3A sectional semifinal match. They lost some strong players to graduation, including NIC MVP Ella Frick, Lauren Harrington and goalie Peyton Hull.

Saint Joe, which had its sectional title streak stopped at 15 in 2022, will be led this time around by the likes of senior Meg Baxter. Baxter was a second-team All-NIC choice in 2022.

Veldman's eligibility status for her final prep season was still undetermined as of Wednesday afternoon. The IHSAA held a hearing on her on August 2, but had not yet made a ruling.

Saint Joseph's Meg Baxter advances the ball during the Mishawaka-Saint Joseph high school Class 3A Sectional Championship soccer match on Saturday, October 09, 2021, at Jackson Field in South Bend, Indiana.
Saint Joseph's Meg Baxter advances the ball during the Mishawaka-Saint Joseph high school Class 3A Sectional Championship soccer match on Saturday, October 09, 2021, at Jackson Field in South Bend, Indiana.

"I love the spirit and work ethic of this team as we prepare for the season," DePauw stated. "We have a wonderful positivity among the players and they have bought into the idea of being all in.

"We are looking for the team to be sound in all phases — defensively, in transition, and offensively. We want to build on the depth and versatility we have to make it challenging for opponents to deal with us by being a strong collective unit."

Saint Joe checked in at No. 7 in the Class 3A preseason poll.

Penn hoping for healthy season

Penn persevered through an injury-riddled 2022 campaign.

The Kingsmen hope for a much healthier time around this fall.

Penn, which finished 8-12-2 with a regional final loss to Crown Point, had a trio of strong players sidelined last season due to ACL injuries.

"We are close to full health as we enter the 2023 season," noted Penn coach Jeff Hart in the preseason.

Penn, which won state titles under Hart in 2016 and 2017, was No. 15 in the Class 3A preseason poll.

Penn’s Anika Guenther tries to redirect a rebound as Goshen’s Olivia Bontreger defends her during the Penn vs. Goshen girls regional semifinal soccer game Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022 at Goshen High School.
Penn’s Anika Guenther tries to redirect a rebound as Goshen’s Olivia Bontreger defends her during the Penn vs. Goshen girls regional semifinal soccer game Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022 at Goshen High School.

"We are excited about the potential of this team to be really good by the end of the season," Hart stated.  "We have an extremely young roster, but we have exceptional senior leadership and kids that like to compete and spend time together.  We've got numerous kids that can play different positions so we will be patient in finding the best mix for player and team.

"Seniors Malaika Waithaka and Kate Noonan are returning starters, and several other seniors have played an important role in our team's success.  Juniors Anika Guenther and Gwen Eiler are also returning starters, and Junior Megan Zhang returns from an injury — we are expecting a big season from her.  We have numerous underclassmen that will compete for significant playing time, including sophomore forward Lexi Leader who led our varsity in goals as a freshman."

Penn beat Adams in the sectional final at Saint Joe last year to claim its state record 16th straight sectional crown. The Kingsmen were 2-2 in NIC play in 2022.

Hart points to health as a big key for this year's edition.

"We have a group of players that should win games because of their talent," Hart remarked. "Our key to success, as always, is staying healthy, building a culture of trust and accountability, and enjoying the journey of a high school season."

Others to watch

Among the other area teams to keep an eye on this fall are Warsaw, Northridge, NorthWood and Goshen in the Northern Lakes Conference, along with small school powers Argos and Bethany Christian.

Warsaw won the NLC title at 7-0 a season ago and finished at 13-5-2.

Goshen finished its 15-4 season with a loss to Penn in a regional semifinal match. The RedHawks were 6-1 in NLC play, but did graduate its top two scorers.

Argos was 9-7-3 a season ago with a 1-0 loss to Andrean in a Class 1A regional finale. Argos beat Bethany Christian 4-1 in a regional semifinal match. The Bruins were 8-10-1 in 2022. Bethany does return its two best players in now seniors Mariah Stoltzfus and Zoe Willems.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: A look at some of the top South Bend area prep girls soccer teams