St. Clair girls soccer not satisfied at 4-1: 'We're not where we want to be'

MARYSVILLE — A lot of girls soccer teams would be satisfied to start the season with a 4-1-0 record. But St. Clair isn't concerned with success with in April.

"I think we're better right now than we were at this point last year," junior Taylor Helton said. "But we still need improvements. (For example), we still need to get better at passing as a team."

"Honestly, we're not where we want to be," senior Kennedy Hollerbach said. "We're happy with how we're playing, but we know we can push ourselves to be better. So these next couple weeks, we're really going to be working to fix out all the little things, get to 100% and get to where we ended the season last year."

The Saints finished 15-4-2 in 2022, culminating in a 5-0 loss to Bloomfield Hills Marian in a Division 2 regional semifinal.

District assignments have changed this year, so they won't have to worry about the Mustangs in regionals. And that presents St. Clair with a golden opportunity.

"A goal for this season is, obviously, to win districts and win our league," senior Ella Farkas said. "But this year, we don't play Marian. So I'm hoping that we make it to the regional finals (and win). It would be the first time ever in school history to make it past regionals. So that's our goal."

In addition to the 4-1-0 start, St. Clair is averaging 3.6 goals per game and has outscored opponents, 18-4. Three of the Saints' victories have come via shutout.

Still, they want to improve their consistency regardless of the opponent.

"We practice at a very fast pace and a very high level," St. Clair coach Cliff Freeland said. "A lot of (these girls) have played for me for a lot of years. I don't think it's hard to get them up (intensity wise), I just think the competition dictates how we play and how we roll."

There are also a handful of new players who are still getting acclimated to St. Clair's style.

"Last year, towards the end of the season, we started running a 3-5-2 (formation)," Farkas said. "So I know the younger players are trying to get used to it and we're all trying to work as a unit. I feel like, as the season progresses, we'll all know how to play with each other."

Some of the newer Saints have already adapted to the tempo, such as sophomore Allie Komarwoski.

"She does a great job moving well in the midfield," Hollerbach said. "It's not an easy position, especially being young. It can be a little scary being in the midfield. I think she's done a great job distributing the ball, being aggressive and holding her own."

Then there are veterans like senior Kaylen Walker, who's developed into an offensive force.

"She's been with me for awhile and she's been a bench player," Freeland said. "She's come off the bench this year but could start easily. She scored two goals in the (Port Huron) Northern game and two in another game. She's been a big spark plug off the bench for us. She can play anywhere and is just a great player to have on your team."

If St. Clair is to follow through on its mission, contributions will have to come from the entire depth chart. The Saints believe they're on their way.

"It's a realistic goal this year," Hollerbach said of winning a regional title. "I think we'll be able to achieve it if we give it our all."

Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.