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DECORAH -- The Decorah Girls Soccer team honored seven seniors, Monday, May 12, prior to their match against Postville. Those seniors are: Hannah Arendt, Kamryn Bakken, Sara Johanningmeier, Addison Lukes-Smith, Kathy Sitan Muj, Amelia Wadsworth, and Kera Walter. The seniors have been a stabilizing force for the team all season, and their contributions over the past four years have been significant. Coach Loren Hendrickson said, "Kathy joined us only this year and has been a welcome addition, but the rest of this group of seniors have shown remarkable dedication throughout the course of their high school years. They've been coachable, they've worked hard, and they've been good role models for their teammates. A coach couldn't ask for much more." Indeed, they have shown remarkable dedication. Johanningmeier, Lukes-Smith, and Wadsworth serve as team captains, Bakkan has anchored the JV team in goal, and Arendt has been playing all over the place, including three games last Saturday at the Waverly Tournament. In addition, the girls have been dedicated off-season participants, often rising early for pre-season workouts, or driving to Rochester for an indoor soccer league in November and December. On the Varsity side of things, Johanningmeier has been a consistent force on offense. She has a good nose for the ball and a tenacity to score. She scored three goals in both her freshman and junior years and led the team in assists, with six, in her sophomore year. This year, so far, she's added four goals and two assists to her career stat sheet. Lukes-Smith has been a defensive powerhouse throughout, playing with speed and an aggressive style of play. She's also the go-to person for throw-ins near the goal because of her ability to wing the ball well into the field of play, not unlike a corner kick. Wadsworth, a four-year starter at the defensive midfield position, has anchored the team—often the pivotal person in stopping an opponent's attack, while also being the same person to instigate the offensive side of the team. Wadsworth over her four years has collected a few goals and assists, but much of what she contributes are the ever-needed, and oh-so-critical intangible elements. On the JV side, Arendt and Bakkan, defender and goalie, respectively, have logged important minutes and have been a positive and calming force for the team, making key plays and saves, while also knowing what the team needs at just the right time. A positive word or well-timed pass. Walter joined the team last year and contributed significant minutes as a junior, but suffered a knee injury during the basketball season which kept her out of play this spring. She remained a positive and light-hearted role model on the team. As the Coach mentioned, Kathy just joined the team this year and has been a "welcome addition." She brings a spark to the JV team and a positive attitude. As for the game against Postville, the Decorah Girls gave the Pirates all they could handle, scoring two goals in the first half and six in the second half. The first goal of the game came off a corner kick in the sixteenth minute of the game. Junior midfielder Nora Lesmeister whipped the ball into a crowd of players and somehow found the foot of junior Clara Hjelle at just the right angle, as the ball flicked off of Hjelle's foot toward the far post, away from the goalie. The second goal came off a penalty kick by Amelia Wadsworth after a handball was called in the penalty box. Wadsworth lined up the shot, took one calm step toward the ball, and booted it into the top-left corner. At halftime, Decorah was up 2-0. For the evening, Sara Johanningmeier and junior Nora Lesmeister each scored two goals for the Vikings while each logging an assist. Joining Hjelle and Wadsworth with one goal apiece were sophomore Stella Grinna and junior Ana Simon. It was a good win to honor the seniors who, as Coach Teo Jubé, said, "[Set] the standard for the rest of the group." Indeed, it's been a season of ups and downs for the team, but as Jubé emphasized, the seniors helped the "…team battle for every single play and compete against any opponent." The final regular season game is scheduled for Thursday, May 15 at Denver. Regional play begins Friday, May 23. More info, including statistics on the game versus Postville, can be found here.

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Decorah Girls Soccer Honors Seven Seniors