Early May standouts in Wisconsin girls soccer

Here’s a quick look at seven of the top Wisconsin girls soccer performers since May 1: <strong>F/M [player_tooltip player_id="28506" first="Emily" last="McCarthy"], Kimberly, So.</strong> McCarthy has registered at least two points in five of six games this month. The first game of the month was the only exception. She opened up this point streak with a fourth minute blast against Eau Claire Memorial. That goal was the only goal of the game as Kimberly held on for a 1-0 win. She scored another goal against Hudson the next day in a 3-0 win at Eau Claire. Recently, she assisted and scored two more goals to blow out Appleton North 7-0. That five-point performance was followed by a goal and assist over Fond du Lac (5-0 win). Most recently, McCarthy scored twice to beat Plymouth 4-0. <strong>GK Payton Lang, Oregon, Sr.</strong> Lang’s outstanding defensive efforts all season is the reason why Oregon is ranked first in Division 2. It wasn’t until this moth when she conceded her first goal all season. In fact, she’s only allowed three goals against her so far. What stands out most about Lang is her overall athleticism. She has great size for a goalkeeper and can move around well in net. She also plays well with her feet. She’s signed to play soccer for Wisconsin-Green Bay next season. <strong>F Zoey Pagels, Oregon, Sr.</strong> Oregon’s offense has nearly 80 goals this season already, with several games to go. Pagels has been a big part of that offensive success. Oregon is still unbeaten. But that almost wasn’t the case if Pagels didn’t put in a goal to tie Verona in the final minute. She also contributed to a 9-0 rout over Milton. She’s also showed recently that she’s not just a scorer, with three assists and an additional goal against Edgewood on May 4. <strong>F/M [player_tooltip player_id="28475" first="Sophia" last="King"], Homestead, Sr.</strong> King has a point in every game this month. She’s super explosive and loves making runs toward the box for scoring opportunities. She started things off with three assists and a goal over The Prairie School, and assisted a few days later to knock off Port Washington 2-0. Last Thursday, she scored and assisted to win at Menomonee Falls 3-0. On Saturday, she scored a goal to take down Kenosha Bradford 3-0. <strong>F/M Melina Knowles, Plymouth, So.</strong> Knowles has asserted herself as one of the top small-school prospects in Wisconsin. Her 13 goals and seven assists lead her team, and have Plymouth ranked No. 2 in Division 3. To start off the month, she scored and assisted to beat Fond du Lac 3-0. Despite a scoreless draw against Kewaskum, she created some great scoring chances. Her hat trick over Waupun ended a terrific two weeks of play. Plymouth is unbeaten. <strong>F Grace Breuchel, McFarland, Sr.</strong> Breuchel has had an amazing month for the top team in Division 3. She has at least three goals in four games this month. Her best performance came most recently against D1 contender Arrowhead. She scored three goals in the first half and added a fourth in the second half. She was the difference maker as the Spartans held on for a 4-3 win. Before that, she had hat tricks in three consecutive games. The Spartans cruised past Whitewater, Evansville, and Sugar River during that span. Breuchel has 24 goals to lead her team this spring. <strong>GK Emily White, Waunakee, Jr.</strong> She’s been the anchor to Waunakee’s successes this season. The junior netminder hasn’t conceded a goal since April 15. White has excellent footwork and is capable of making saves from any angle possible. Waunakee is currently ranked No. 4 in Division 1 by the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association.