Ricardo ArguelloAppleton Post-Crescent
KIMBERLY − A potent offense in soccer needs several components to function at a high level.
The Kimberly girls soccer team has that right mix heading into the WIAA state tournament, led by a trio of seniors in forward Emily McCarthy and midfielders Senah Hanes and Abby Lom.
Kimberly (21-2-1) faces Waunakee (16-1-3) in a Division 1 state semifinal at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Kimberly, the Fox Valley Association champion, is making its first state appearance since 2011 and third overall.
McCarthy and Hanes lead the team in goals with 38 and 31, respectively. Lom paces the team in assists with 23. It's a formidable front line that stresses defenses due to its playmaking ability as the Papermakers enter the state tournament with the most goals scored (104) of the four teams in Division 1.
Abby Lom is Kimberly career assists leader
The 5-foot-3 Lom is right in the middle of the action. She has the school record in assists and her mental makeup and performance has the Kimberly offense operating at a high level.
"She's been a good distributer for us the last two, three years," Kimberly coach Andrew Sutton said. "She's sitting at 60 career assists. She's just steady. And she's finding different girls, too. A lot of her assists, they're not to one player. You can look at Emily, Senah. We've had (sophom*ore) Brenna Wilson come on big this year. And then Jenna Scholz last year. She finds everybody. Doesn't matter what position they're at or what jersey number they're wearing."
Lom said being the facilitator on offense is her "favorite part of the game."
"Just making plays," she said. "I’ve never been the person who’s the big name on the team that everyone’s worried about. But I feel like I make it happen for those people. But that’s my favorite part of the game — finding creative passes.”
Lom, who's heading to UW-Green Bay along with Hanes next fall to play collegiately, said the chemistry all three have near the goal is also a benefit.
"I think it's super important," Lom said. "I think we have a very special team in that sense. A lot of the other elite high school teams, they all come from very different club backgrounds. With us, I've been playing with a lot of these girls for 10, 12 years. And I feel like it's completely different.
"With Emily, I've been playing with her my entire life. I know exactly where she's going to be and I know exactly where to pass her the ball, so that helps a lot."
McCarthy, who will play in college at Marquette, said Lom has been "amazing" in setting up goal after goal for the Papermakers.
“She's not always featured as much because she’s not scoring as many goals, but she creates 90% of our opportunities," McCarthy said. "If she’s not the assist, she’s the pass to the assist and I think she does incredible things behind the scenes for our team. Offensively, defensively, I can’t say enough good things about her.”
Waunakee a good test for Papermakers
Kimberly had a close loss to top-seeded Waunakee earlier this season, falling 1-0 at Waunakee.
It was the Papermakers' second game of the season and that loss may have been why Kimberly was seeded fourth in the state tournament.
“When I told the girls that we were the fourth seed, I think there was a little disappointment," Sutton said. " 'How do we not at least get the 3?' But the reality is that everyone down there is really good. And when I asked them who do you think we match up well with, they agreed that Waunakee felt like the best matchup."
Waunakee tied for first with Oregon in the Badger-Large this season and its lone loss came to Madison West (1-0). The Warriors also tied Oregon and Muskego, with Kimberly's second loss of the season coming to Muskego (2-1).
The Warrriors are led by senior midfielder Alyssa Thomas (20 goals, 15 assists) and senior forward Sophie Schnaubelt (11 goals, 12 assists) is also a threat. The Waunakee defense is the strength of the team, with only five goals allowed all season.
Kimberly's defense is fantastic, too, led by senior keeper Lauren Heckert. The 5-6 Heckert has allowed just seven goals all season and has a goals against average of 0.38.
Sutton said the Papermakers have improved since that close loss to Waunakee.
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"I don't know if that was our best game of this year," Sutton said. "We had a lot of missed touches. Kennedy Ebben was a freshman starting at center-mid and she's still a freshman, but now she's got 22 or 23 games under her belt. And Kennedy was phenomenal during our playoff run and really all year. We have Katie Owens, a sophom*ore first-year starter. We were playing a top-three team and I'm starting a handful of freshmen and sophom*ores that didn't play a lot last year and asked to play a lot against a good team.
"We feel good about the matchup and it'll be what it'll be. We feel like it's a game that we can come away with a victory."
