MEDFORD GIRLS SOCCER PREVIEW - Motivated soccer team returns 15, expects to contend in GNC

MEDFORD GIRLS SOCCER PREVIEW

With 15 returning varsity players, the names on Medford’s girls soccer roster will look quite familiar when the Raiders hopefully begin their 2023-24 season tonight, Thursday, on the turf at Raider Field.

The goal is for the experience and physical growth of those players to carry the team to unfamiliar territory by season’s end.

For the first time in several years, Medford feels it can legitimately set a goal of contending for a top position in the Great Northern Conference and making a post-season run. To reach the end goal, fourth-year head coach Tanya Tessmann and assistant Denice Poetzl are preaching one day and one game at a time approach to the season, which the players have been highly anticipating since a strong finish to last year.

Medford is set to kick things off with a tough non-conference contest against Rice Lake tonight at 7 p.m. It’s the first of eight straight home games to start the spring. Waupaca is here Tuesday for a 7 p.m. start and a first-year WIAA squad, Crandon, visits for a 6 p.m. kickoff on April 4.

As currently scheduled, 10 of Medford’s first 11 games are at home “Many players are returning and not just for their second year, but their third and fourth years,” Tessmann said Friday as the team worked out inside the warm confines of Raider Hall. “I think we have maybe one of the more experienced teams. We’ll see how that plays out in the conference.”

Medford reached its goal last year of getting into the top half of the six-team GNC standings. Its 5-5 league record put the team in third place behind 10-0 Lakeland and 8-2 Rhinelander. But the girls’ motivation coming into this year more likely comes from the way they finished their 6-13 2023 season. Down the stretch, the Raiders battled Lakeland to a 1-0 loss, got conference wins of 8-0 at Antigo and 3-2 at Northland Pines and then took Rhinelander to the wire in the WIAA Division 3 regional semifinal, falling 1-0. The Hodags had beaten Medford 6-0 and 4-0 in the regular season.

Practice officially started March 18, but the players could be seen on the field during the month’s unseasonably warm weather organizing their own workouts.

“We’ve had open gyms and they’ve held preseason practices led by last year’s varsity players a couple times a week these past few weeks,” Tessmann said. “We’ve had good turnout for that so they’re already starting out knowing one another and feeling comfortable which especially helps those new players.

“We were lucky in the first week to get outside, even if it was very cold,” Tessmann added. “We took advantage of being out on the pitch just because we know how the weather can change, which it did. Hard to say if we’re going to see another practice outside before our first game.”

Five of Medford’s 15 returning varsity players earned some kind of All-GNC recognition last spring, led by firstteam choices Sophia Brunner and Sierra Tessmann.

Brunner, a team co-captain, is in her fourth year as the team’s goal keeper. She allowed just 1.8 goals per game in conference last year and had a save percentage of 82%.

“She’s been working hard all off-season including playing with a summer club team,” coach Tessmann said. “She brings experience back into the goal and we’re looking for her to continue to communicate with our defensive line in stopping shots.”

Sierra Tessmann heads Medford’s list of midfielders who aim to control the game by possessing the ball and creating scoring opportunities. Tessmann led Medford with six goals last year and added three assists. She’ll be joined be All-GNC honorable mentionees senior Madison Clarkson and Megan Schaefer, junior Shayla Radlinger and sophomore Makenna Tlusty.

“Megan may be one player we experiment with a little in shifting positions,” Tanya Tessmann said. “She’s a strong player and the team feels confident no matter where she is. Shayla played up top last season. We’re looking to her a little bit more to hopefully make some runs. She scored some goals last year (four) and hopefully more so this year.” The Raiders feel their speed outside is another strength. Senior Alexis Szydel and sophomore Mallory Richter figure to again get their fair share of shots. Richter scored three times in her freshman season and Szydel, one of the Raiders’ multi-year varsity veterans, had two. Junior Amelia Pernsteiner returns as does sophomore Bayley Metz, another player who coach Tessmann said could fit in a variety of spots on the field. In front of Brunner, the defensive back line is anchored by hard-nosed players like senior co-captain Nikki Poetzl and secondteam All-GNC junior Talyn Peterson.

“Talyn is very quick out there putting pressure on opponents and she never lets up on her intensity,” Tessmann said. “We’re also excited to see senior Masaeda Krug return. She was a very solid player last year for her first year. I’m looking forward to seeing that from her again espe- cially as her knowledge of the game has grown since she first stepped out onto the pitch last year.”

Senior Hannah Fleegel and sophomore Chloe Kapitz add defensive depth. Freshman Peyton Boelk may get some time back there too, though the team is trying to develop her as the program’s next goalie.

“Peyton is anticipated to be our backup goalie if we would need her,” Tessmann said. “She’ll be playing some goalie for JV also, but we wanted to bring her up this year so she could work closely with Sophia and learn and start to develop at the high school level and get to know the remaining players.”

The team has three new juniors who may be new to soccer, but they are solid athletes who have had success in other sports –– Sydney Sperl, a state-caliber swimmer; Audrey Ruesch, one of Medford’s top tennis players, and Riley Clark, a name familiar with track and cross country followers.

Kirstin Semenchuk is the team’s final addition, joining a coaching staff that is overseeing more than 40 players for the second straight spring.

“Kirstin moved to the area about a year ago,” Tessmann said. “She has experience playing soccer for UW-Platteville. We’re looking forward to using her knowledge. She’ll be a good resource.”

Lakeland and Rhinelander are again expected to be the teams Medford will have to beat if it wants to win its first-ever GNC title.

“Both teams lost quite a few players, but they’re always strong teams,” Tessmann said. “Rhinelander has a huge freshman class coming in that’s very strong. They’ll be strong for a number of years. Mosinee and Northland Pines were developing last year. They’re going to be good competition too. Those were all close games last season. Antigo keeps getting stronger each season too. They have been starting to win more games. The conference will be tight.

“My goal is to focus on one game at a time,” she added. “Conference games of course we look at, but those non-conference games play a part in seeding. We would love to play a home playoff game this year. If we can do that, that’d be good.”