Soccer

Caledonia/Spring Grove/Houston Soccer Preview

The Caledonia/Spring Grove/Houston soccer girls return nine starters from last year’s team that went 4-11-2 (1-8-1 TRC). And that does not include All-Conference, leading scorer Loisah Gay (14 goals), who will miss her junior season with injury. All-Conference goalkeeper/forward Josie Foster is back along with two All-TRC Honorable Mentions, both juniors, midfielder Siri Konkel, and forward, second-leading scorer, Macy Kraus (nine goals). Konkel and senior Addison Fruechte return as center midfielders to control the flow of the attack. The defense lost two starters, but the Warriors return both center defenders, junior Stephanie Ideker and sophomore Bristol Kuennen. Other returning starters are junior Sophie Blocker plus sophomores Ella Hoscheit and Lillian Thies. The Warriors are a young squad with only two seniors. “We will be a little young on the bench side,” said veteran coach Chris Jandt. “But that does not mean they are not experienced. Five of our bench players have significant varsity experience of two years or more.” The Caledonia/Spring Grove/Houston soccer boys return nine of 11 starters and 10 of 14 letter winners, including all-conference midfielder Will Hahn from last year’s team that went 2-13 (1-8 TRC). Other letter winners are seniors Jacob Hernandez, John O’Heron, Jackson Moen, Hayden Haase, Zander Thorson and Preston Kuennen along with juniors Quinton Meldahl and Landon O’Heron plus sophomore Anthony Hahn. Altogether, there are eight seniors, five juniors, four sophomores and one freshman in varsity jerseys. The Warrior guys opened by splitting a pair of 4-0 road decisions.

Season Openers (8/22 & 8/24)

(G) Triton/K-W/Hayfield 0, Caledonia/Spring Grove 7 (“This was one of the best games that I have seen Caledonia play in my 10 years,” said Jandt. “We were able to control the speed and possess the ball for most of the game. Passing was on-point and the girls were moving without the ball. There were assists on the first six goals. Siri Konkel (4 assists, 1 goal) and Addie Fruechte (1 assist) controlled the game through the midfield.” Macy Kraus scored three goals, Josie Foster two, Livia Rask one and Konkel one. Ella Hoscheit assisted on the third goal. The Warriors scored two early goals on the way to a 6-0 halftime lead. The defense denied the two Cobra forwards all night. An early corner kick was the visitors’ only significant threat, and Warrior goalkeeper Alexis Qualy was not seriously challenged the rest of the way.)

(B) Cal/SG/Hou 0, Winona 4 (In the teams’ first meeting in eight years, the Warriors were without two starters, one of which in a critical position on defense) 

(B) Caledonia/SG 4, Schaeffer Academy 0 (Coach Jay Marschall credited senior captains Jacob Hernandez and Will Hahn for passes that set up the goals; “Their experience was just the instruction some of our newer varsity players needed.” Junior Landon O’Heron scored two goals plus one apiece from Hahn and junior Alex Henke. Warriors > 0-0, 1-1)