River Falls girls soccer has taken on no shortage of difficult matchups over the opening month of the season, but the team has not let that get to their heads, starting the season with a 4-1-1 record. That record includes a 1-0 win over rival Hudson, a 3-1 win against Sectional measuring stick in Onalaska and 6-0 and 4-0 conference wins against Chippewa Falls and New Richmond.

The team’s lone loss came 2-0 against Holmen on April 11 and the draw was 2-2 against Eau Claire Memorial on April 21.

A start like that, considering the challenging opponents both in conference and non-conference, puts the Wildcats in the driver’s seat to a conference title and beyond. The team is not getting ahead of itself, though, as they know the difficulties that come with making a run to State, doing so in back-to-back seasons.

“It certainly has been a challenging schedule to start us off. I think what stands out the most has just been the coachability. They’ve been so open to the gameplan and really able to kind of put things together on the field that we’ve done in practice,” Coach Adam Koger said.

What has made this early season so successful is the willingness to compete on both ends of the field.

“We’ve done a really nice job creating dangerous opportunities to score, and ultimately that’s a sign of positivity. And then, as we go on, can we increase the rate of completion of those opportunities,” Koger said. “I think we’ve done a good job defending as a team, but in transition is going to be an area that we continue to grow.”

Koger said many conference foes focus on quick counterattacks, so the Wildcats need to be equally fast, if not faster, to remain unbreakable. The defense has been lights out thus far, allowing five goals in six games. Brilliant team play on the back end has allowed goalkeepers senior Addie Johnson and junior Neva Espanet to do their jobs and not press too hard. Another positive sign Koger has noticed is the versatility of the roster.

“Early on I didn’t maybe get as many of our players in as I probably could have. As we’ve continued on, we’re finding players growing into new roles, bigger roles across the board. Finding that we’ve got versatility,” Koger said. “We’ve got several players bouncing between numerous positions, and that’s been pretty big for us.”

With a good combination of eight seniors on the roster and many younger contributors, Koger said the senior class had done a great job in the leadership positions. The Wildcats have a combination of student-athletes that are vocal leaders and those who lead by example, showcasing that there are many ways to contribute to the team.

“We’re fortunate. We had a handful of players express interest as the season got kicked off in leadership roles regarding captainship,” Koger said. “Even those that are not [captains] have done a wonderful job in helping to guide our younger players.”

One of those leaders, senior Elliott Bell, recently signed to play soccer at Viterbo University next year. Bell is leading the team with six goals and has three assists, second to Addison Lemke who has four assists and three goals. Bell had a second half hattrick April 14 against Chippewa Falls.

“She’s one of our more vocal leaders,” Koger said. “As far as strengths, she’s one of the strongest young ladies I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach. From a physical standpoint, she does such a great job holding up play, and then when she gets into and near the box, she’s really turned up her level of being able to turn defenders and then either look to set up teammates or look to go find the back of the net.”