Notre Dame to rely on seniors in transition year

The Notre Dame girl's soccer team will look to lean on their five seniors while forming a new foundation in 2023.

Seniors Grace Young, Kristin Anderson, Karlyle Kasten and Anna Garner return along with senior newcomer Emma Steimle will look to supply the veteran leadership needed to bring the talented group of underclassmen along as the season progresses in hopes the Bulldogs can make another deep run into district play come May

“I’ll need our five seniors to take the leadership role in order for us to have a successful season, “Notre Dame head coach Ryan Schweain said. “We return our second leading scorer from last year (Sophomore Addison Clippard) and welcome newcomers Lyla Martin (Soph), Elle West (Fr.), Kolby Grimes (Soph.), Cora Burford (Soph.), Maya Thebeau (Fr.), Rylee Britton (Jr.), Madyson Erbst (Soph.), Mia Panton (Fr.), Stella Schweain (Soph.), Lolah Wunderlich (Fr.), Sophia Emmons (Soph.), Kate Buchheit (Soph.), Aidyn O'Daniel (Fr.) and Ayda Emmons (Fr.) who all should see playing time this season.”

The Bulldogs finished 13-5-1 last year and lost a great deal of how successful the program has been over the last three seasons when Allison Buchheit, Sidney Buchheit, Kathyrn Taylor, Victoria Hurley and Isabel Knaup graduated. That class were freshmen when Notre Dame won the 2019 state championship with a 26-1-1 record. However, Schweain believes his returnees can be just as good if not better than the 2022 version.

“We lost our top offensive player in Allison Buchheit who scored 27 goals for us last season and our starting goalkeeper in Isabel Knaup,” Schweain said. “We do return a good group of experienced players along with a solid core of newcomers so I’m hoping we can improve daily, come together as a team, and enjoy the process as it presents itself.”

Notre Dame will also have to replace goalkeeper Isabel Knaup who only allowed a total of 13 goals in 19 games played a year ago. Schweain doesn't see a true favorite to lead the Bulldogs in goal just yet.

“We are working with a few to see who can step up and be our next solid goalkeeper,” Schweain said. “Right now, the jury is still out on who that will be.”

The 2023 schedule for Notre Dame has the usual suspects on the docket like Sikeston, Jackson, Kelly, Saxony Lutheran, Perryville and Cape Central but also features some tough out-of-area teams as well like Parkway Central (STL), Visitation Academy (STL), Carbondale IL, as well as the Tolton Catholic Tournament in Columbia MO and the annual Fralish Cup Showcase in Marion IL.

The Bulldogs begin their season at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21 on the road at Visitation Academy in St. Louis.