The Homestead girls soccer team clinched the North Shore Conference title on Tuesday, May 26 with a tie against Whitefish Bay, finishing the season undefeated in conference play. This is the girls’ first conference championship since the 2010-2011 season. “It felt great winning conference and I believe it really brought an extra boost to the team before the playoffs,” Sophie Bradshaw, senior captain, said.

With the regular season winding down, the girls have one last game at home against Kenosha Bradford on Thursday, May 28 before the playoffs begin. “I’m ready to finish the season out with a win and so are the rest of the girls,” Lauren Padgett, junior, said. Gaining momentum going into the playoffs will be key for the ladies to make a deep run.

After losing Christine Kerkman, senior captain, the team is looking for people to step up. “Christine was a key defender for us and losing her means we lost some senior leadership on the field as well,” Bradshaw said. The girls’ morale is still high and they are looking past this minor setback.

With a win on Tuesday, the team is set for a high seed in the playoffs and the girls are set to make it far into the playoffs. “I’m excited to fight for a state title and prove to everyone what we can do,” Padgett, said. Homestead’s region consists of many of the top teams around the area. “We are going to face some tough competition in the playoffs, but if we keep our composure and continue to play the way that works best for us, we will be just fine,” Kerkman said.

For now, it is just one game at a time for the Lady Highlanders. “We can’t get ahead of ourselves and look too far into the future. It will be crucial for the team leaders to make sure everyone stays focused on each game,” Padgett said.

The girls competed at a high level during the regular season and expect that to carry over into the postseason. “We have grown a lot from the beginning of the season, but I believe we still haven’t reached our full potential,” Bradshaw said.