Head Coach: Kyle Hahn– 2nd season as head coach, 3rd season with the team.
Assistant Coaches: Will Bialecki– 10th season; Claire Peterson (JV coach)– 6th season.
2017 Record: Overall- 6 wins, 15 losses, 1 tie; Conference- 1 win, 10 losses, 1 tie.
2017 Post Season: Regional Semi-Final @ Pulaski, lost 5-0.
Returning All-Conference: Renee Moonen, defense, Sr; Mae Litschauer, midfield, Sr; Kaylee Bowe, goalkeeper, Jr.
Key Returners: Renee Moonen, defense, Sr; Zoe Slewitzke, defense, Sr; Mae Litschauer, midfield, Sr; Kate Peterson, forward/defense, Sr; Kaylee Bowe, goalkeeper, Jr; Hunter Zecca, forward, Jr; Grace Heldt, midfield, So.
Key Losses: Gabby Schlegel, goalkeeper; Alisha Scantlin, midfield; Bri Grosskurth, forward.
Key Newcomers: Kate Steckbauer, defense, Fr; Alex Johnson, midfield, Fr; Kelly Page, midfield, Fr; Hannah Wolff-Shimel, forward, Fr.
2017 Recap: “We picked up four points in conference last year, which keeps us on an upward trajectory,” coach Hahn said. “The win at Wausau East was particularly satisfying as we had tied them on our home turf and knew we could have come out of that game with a win. We beat Phillips twice, which showed a level of consistency that we were capable of. Unfortunately, we struggled against the bigger teams in conference like D.C. Everest and SPASH. We showed tremendous improvement the second time we played Wisconsin Rapids, conceding a narrow 1-0 defeat. One of our weaknesses last season was scoring goals, so we’re changing our formation up a bit and running with a two-forward system with an attacking midfielder sitting underneath.”
2018 Outlook: “Like I said last season, I think this group has a real opportunity to build off last season’s momentum,” Hahn said. “We’re returning 11 varsity players hungry to leave their mark on the girls’ soccer legacy here in Merrill. I expect good games against Wausau East and Marshfield and I’m hoping experience serves us well against Wausau West and Wisconsin Rapids this year. SPASH has a new coach for the first time in a while, so it’ll be interesting to see how they adapt to fresh leadership. Everest is always going to be a tough set of games as they’ve had their program humming for quite some time now.”
A Final Word From The Coach: “I’m excited to see how far our group has come from last year. We have seven returning starters and a group of returning impact subs and incoming freshmen that are working hard to stake their claim for playing time. This is a competitive bunch and I have no doubt they’ll be leaving it all out on the field each and every game this season.”
2018 MHS Varsity Girls Soccer schedule
Sat, April 7: 9:30 a.m. @ Wisconsin Rapids
Tue, April 17: 7:00 p.m. vs. Wausau West
Thu, April 19: 5:00 p.m. @ Marshfield
Tue, April 10: 7:00 p.m. vs. D.C. Everest
Tue, April 24: 7:00 p.m. vs. Stevens Point
Thu, April 26: 7:00 p.m. @ Wisconsin Rapids
Fri, April 27: 7:00 p.m. vs. Wausau East
Tue, May 1: 4:30 p.m. @ Amherst
Thu, May 3: 7:00 p.m. @ D.C. Everest
Tue, May 8: 5:00 p.m. @ Wausau East
Thu, May 10: 5:00 p.m. @ Wausau West
Tue, May 15: 7:00 p.m. vs. Marshfield
Thu, May 17: 7:00 p.m. @ Stevens Point
Sat, May 19: 5:00 p.m. @ Regis
Tue, May 22: 7:00 p.m. vs. Wisconsin Rapids