Grafton soccer team has big goals this season

Three of four all-conference players are back, along with a host of others with experience and skill, and that brought something else to the Grafton High School girls’ soccer team this season: expectations.

“We believe that with the talent of the returning players that we have there’s no reason that we can’t make a legit run at state this year,” coach Jason Rogers said.

The Division 3 state title winner, Catholic Memorial, came from Grafton’s sectional last season. The Black Hawks lost in a shootout in a regional final to Kettle Moraine Lutheran, which only lost to Memorial, 4-2, in the sectional semifinal.

The girls set the goal of getting to Uih-lein Park in Milwaukee for the state tourney this season.

“If that’s a goal you want, you have to have that single-mindedness of that’s what we want,” Rogers told them.

Grafton boasts depth across the field, led by North Shore Conference second-team selection and team captain Brayleigh Sumner, who will move from back in the midfield to an attacking midfield position. Rogers has his fingers crossed that the senior’s game is even better than last season when she led the Hawks with six goals and six assists.

“That’s the hope,” he said.

Junior Ava Dotson, who earned NSC honorable mention after scoring twice last season, is again using her speed to play out wide. Her sister, freshman Mila, may join her.

“They’re pretty similar in pace and skill set. They’re both very fast,” Rogers said.

Junior Lily Verplancke is back at forward, and she will be joined by junior Katelyn Valenta, who is back after playing year-round club ball.

“We’ve got a good mix. Lily’s a little taller and more physical, gets pace in the open field,” Rogers said. “Valenta is more quick and agile.”

Sophomore Brooklyn LaMontagne and junior Sierra Javoroski are also back at forward.

“We’ve got about six up front we can rotate in,” Rogers said.

Besides Sumner at midfield, senior co-captain Olivia Ruff returns, as does sophomore Aliza Emanuele.

The Hawks also get Ava Van Sluys back, who missed all of last season due to a knee injury.

“It looks like she’s ready to go,” Rogers said.

Returning junior Hili Luft will also play midfield.

“We’ve got another good five players to feel comfortable rotating,” Rogers said.

On defense, junior Josie Goetz returns after earning NSC honorable mention.

She joins returning center back June Wieland, a junior. Freshman Kayle Van Sluys, Ava’s sister, also plays defense, and junior Abby Widmann will play outside.

Junior Paige Proefrock is back at keeper.

“I think we return 14 players who played last year,” Rogers said, adding with Valenta and Ava Van Sluys, that makes 16.

“This is probably the most depth we’ve had 1 through 18 being able to rotate players.”

Fighting for playing time will make for a better squad.

“When you’ve got players who can rotate and players who can start, competition always makes players better,” Rogers said.

The program has around 36 players with a near even split between varsity and junior varsity.

It helps that Proefrock and Dotson were part of the volleyball team that brought home the silver ball last fall.

“Anytime you get the experience of getting to that level, knowing what it takes from an individual standpoint and from a team standpoint to get there, I think that’s huge,” Rogers said.

“In order to get to state, you all have to buy into that. That has to be your mindset. You all have to do what it takes to get there.”

The Hawks lost co-captain Sophie Goetz, who had four goals and two assists and earned NSC honorable mention, to graduation.

The Hawks went 6-6-5 last season and 3-3-2 in the brutal NSC, where Whitefish Bay advanced to state and Cedarburg, which qualified for state in Division 2 the past three seasons, was bumped to Division 1 and went to a regional final. The Hawks won’t face those larger teams in the playoffs but get tough competition during the regular season to prepare them.

“There’s no game on our schedule we don’t feel we can’t be competitive in,” Rogers said.

Grafton was to host KML on Tuesday, April 6, and play at Heritage Christian on Wednesday, April 7. The Hawks host Ozaukee on Friday, April 10, and Hartford on Tuesday, April 14.