By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Confidence can carry a team a long way, and the Greenwood Lady Bluejays rode that confidence all the way to their first state final four appearance in program history last season.
“If you would have told me at the beginning of the 2022 season that the Greenwood girls’ soccer program would be playing on the last possible day of the high school season, I probably would have laughed a little, but last season was thrilling,” said Melissa Kuhar, who led the Lady Jays to a third-place finish in Class 1 in her first season as head coach.
In its first trip to the state semifinals, Greenwood had only 12 available players (one substitute) due to several missing starters because of a variety of scheduling conflicts. With those 12 players, some of whom became eligible in time to participate, the Lady Jays came up short (3-1) against a St. Pius X (Festus) team that captured its second runner-up trophy to go along with two third-place finishes and a championship in 2012.
The Lady Jays were able to get two of their players back for the third-place game and battle for a 2-1 overtime win over Mid-Buchanan.
Kuhar said the key to her team’s success was a focus on having both confidence and fun at all times.
“I think my coaching staff and I did that constantly throughout the 2022 season and it paid off,” Kuhar said. “We asked the girls to buy into the concept that everyone has a role on the team and you need to be your best in that role whatever it may be, and the girls did just that. We never let last year’s team get down on themselves or each other. By doing this, our season was record-breaking.”
That focus also resulted in a 16-4 record (first season since 2012 to finish above .500), the program’s first district title since 2015, and numerous individual and coaching postseason honors.
Kuhar returns a solid core group of players she says will help Greenwood maintain its success.
• Tess Fowler, senior center-midfielder – Team’s second-leading scorer with 25 goals and a team-leading 13 assists; named Class 1 All-State first-team and Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Class 1 All-Region 3 Player of the Year, and Class 1 District 6 first-team. “Tess is coming off a great 2022 season,” Kuhar said. “She is solid for us in the midfield and we will need her to have another big year in order for our team to have success.”
• Cammie Parker, junior outside-mid/center back – Earned all-region and second-team all-district honors. “Cammie will help anchor our defense this upcoming season as one of only two returners on the backline. She was solid for us as an outside back, but this year we might see her move to center back.”
• Nyah Dogwiler, senior outside-mid/outside back – Named second-team all-district. “Nyah is the type of player who never runs out of energy. She was a vital part of our team last year, even though the stat sheet doesn’t show it. I think I played her in every position on the field including goalkeeper at one point. She brings so much to our program and will do the same this year.”
• Rilyn Anderson, senior outside-mid – A second-team all-district selection. “Rilyn was a key player for us during the 2022 season. This year, we might need her to take on a larger role in our attack, but I know she is up for the challenge. She didn’t have a ton of goals and assists in 2022, but she came up big in key moments like during the state finals and contributed in many other ways on the field.”
• Chelsea Isackson, junior center back – Earned all-region and second-team all-district honors. “Chelsea is one of two returners from our backline who had nine shutouts during the 2022 season. She will be a huge piece of the puzzle in 2023. I believe she will have an outstanding year and help anchor our backline.”
• Eva Heidemann, sophomore center-mid – A second-team all-district selection. “Eva started her high school career last year on a high note and I look forward to her continuing to find success in the middle of the field. She was a huge part of our midfield. She was playing alongside two of the best center midfielders in Class 1 and she was a vital part of their success. This year, I look for Eva to have a standout year and I would love to see more goals from her, which I know she is capable of doing.”
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As Kuhar prepares for this season and the interest in the team grows, she thinks there will be a handful of new players who will be added to the mix.
“I think that all the new players will bring something special to the team,” Kuhar said. “There was a lot of hype surrounding our team last year and that has sparked an interest from a lot of girls at Greenwood. We will have a few new faces that will see vital roles in our 2023 success.”
The Lady Jays lost three all-state players to graduation and will need to find a way to try and fill their boots.
• Annabelle Sonnemaker, center-mid – Scored 39 goals with 8 assists; named first-team all-state, all-region Offensive Player of the Year, and first-team all-district; currently playing at NCAA Division-I Lindenwood University. “Annabelle was a key part of our offense last year,” Kuhar said. “We will miss her attacking presence and ability to disrupt the opponent’s defense.”
• Reagan Rosen, center back – Helped team record 9 shutouts and a 1.0 goals against average; earned second-team all-state, all-region and first-team all-district honors. “Reagan held our backline together last year. She was a key component to our success on the defensive half of the field. Our team will miss her leadership and presence in the back and her ability to shut down the other team’s best players on a consistent basis.”
• Ellise Dlabach, goalkeeper – Key part in team’s 9 shutouts and 1.0 goals against average; received second-team all-state, region goalkeeper of the year, and first-team all-district. “With Ellise graduating, we have a huge role to fill in the net. Ellise had a successful year in 2022 that was capped off with a stellar performance in the state finals. We will miss her experience in the net and her ability to make game-saving stops for us.”
The Lady Jays will look to defend their district title when they open the regular season by hosting the Greenwood Classic on March 25.
“Our Greenwood Classic will give us a good idea of where our team is at and what things we might need to work on,” said Kuhar, who was named Regional Coach of the Year and MSHSAA/NHSF Coach of the Year Girls Soccer (only coach in all Missouri high schools/all levels). “We are always excited to play our district teams and see where we stand with them since we know we will face them at the end of the year with a chance to play in the state tournament on the line.
“The girls and our coaching staff are beyond excited for what the season has in store. The expectation, as it has been from the moment I started at Greenwood, is to have fun and enjoy what we are doing. If we win a lot of games along the way, awesome. As long as we remain confident and enjoy the process, success will come in many forms.”
