After finishing last season with a 9-win, 7-loss, and 3-draw record and securing a third-place finish in the North Shore Conference, the girls’ soccer team entered the 2026 season facing a very different schedule. This spring, the Highlanders have competed against several strong non-conference and conference teams, resulting in a 2-8-1 record through the first part of the season. Last season, the Highlanders scored 48 goals and finished with a winning record, but this year’s schedule has featured many teams with strong records and experienced lineups. Through the early part of the season, the girls have been working to adjust and improve against difficult competition.
The Highlanders opened the season with losses against Oshkosh West, Appleton North, and Pewaukee before earning a 1-1 tie against D.C. Everest and a 2-1 win over Waupaca. The team continued facing diffocult conference competition throughout the season before earning another win against Greenfield on May 14.
Head coach Chris Bale said the team entered the season expecting strong results, but injuries and tough competition made the season challenging.
“Preseason expectations were really high, but we’ve got a lot of injuries this year,” said Bale. “The way that we’re performing right now is under what my expectations were going into this season.”
Bale also believes that playing difficult opponents could help the team later in the year during the playoffs when wins and losses matter most. He said the focus has been on improving small details during practices and preparing the team for competitive games.
“We’ve done a lot of short passing drills and marking drills, because we’re losing marks and that’s how they’ve been scoring on us,” Bale said.
While Coach Bale has focused on improving the team’s performance throughout the season, players have also worked to stay motivated during a challenging stretch of games.
Helena Frets, junior, has played for the Highlanders for three years and continues to reassure her teammates to try their best despite losses.
“I was really proud of our game against Hamilton this year because it has always been a tough game for us, and we really tried our best,” Frets said.
Another player, Megan Adams, sophomore, has been on the team for the past two years and feels the team dynamic is very strong, as many of the players are good friends, and it shows up on the field.
“Finishing strong for me would definitely be getting a couple more wins on our record, finishing with good relationships with all my teammates, and just having a good time with the last couple of games,” Adams said.
Homestead play its first playoff game on June 2 as the girls continue to compete for a positive finish to their season.
