Photos courtesy of Photoworks Left: The 2019 Marshall boys soccer team includes Tristan VanDeVere, Ivan Celedon, Hsa Khee Lar, Abdulahi Omar, Abdikadir Ali, Eli Salisbury, Amin Aden, Mazin Abdallah, Nick Kayser, Hsa Law Eh, Hugh Cifuentes, Klee Tee Paw, Maher Abdallah, Mookae Stee, Bryan Ramirez, Eh Thay Su John, Ariel Ramon Ramos and Carlos Reyes. Right: The 2019 Marshall girls soccer team includes front row (L to R): Hannah Babcock, Ally Quist, Leah Legatt, Emily Hernandez and Hannah Wing. Middle Row (L to R): Marissa Talamantes, Genesis Hernandez, Darian Ross, Raini Grams, Lenei Estrada and Maddy VanKeulen. Back Row (L to R): Coach Jesus Hernandez, Hannah Gordon, Emma Mernaugh, Grace Gordon, Anna Kueker, Ella Ross, assistant coach Shayna Smith, assistant coach Emily Hoffman. Missing: Dayna Estrada.

MARSHALL – After another season filled with lots of great goals, signature games and plenty of experience and growth shown, the Marshall boys and girls soccer teams will look to take another step forward this fall.

Girls

After going through the ups-and-downs of their first varsity season last year, the Marshall girls soccer team will look to continue to make improvements under third-year head coach Jesus Hernandez.

With multiple key players returning such as Lenei Estrada, Ally Quist, Emma Mernaugh and Grace Gordon as well as newcomers Leah Legatt and Hannah Wing looking to make an impact, Hernandez said one of their biggest challenges again this year will be maintaining their physicality with teams despite their youth, but believes their chemistry will be a key factor.

“Our team is still pretty young, and some older teams know how to take advantage of that by playing physical and that’s been one of our biggest challenges yet,” Hernandez said. “With Leah moving up to varsity, we feel like she brings lots of experience on goal. Most of our girls played together in the summer league, so we feel like there’s more chemistry among the team this year.”

The Tigers bounced back from two losses to start with shutout victories over Mankato Loyola and Worthington before dropping two more games.

Boys soccer

After another strong season, the Tigers will have a core group of players returning and they will do it with a new leader on the sidelines, as Roberto Esparza moves up to coaching varsity after guiding the JV team.

Marshall has nine returning players from a season ago, led by Nick Kayser, Mookae Stee and Eli Salisbury.

So far this season, Marshall has fought their way to a 3-1-2 record with their wins coming against Mankato Loyola, Waseca and Fairmont. Esparza said he expects his group to continue to compete hard and take advantage of the field in order to reach their goal of advancing further in the playoffs.

“I think we have to take advantage of the field; we can easily lose games where we dominate the whole game but they outscore us,” Hernandez said. “We have to win and go further than last year.”