Haley Elsenrath isn’t your typical freshman. A midfielder on the Wright City girls soccer team, Elsenrath has begun her high school soccer career with a bang.
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Haley Elsenrath isn’t your typical freshman.
A midfielder on the Wright City girls soccer team, Elsenrath has begun her high school soccer career with a bang.
The five goals and three assists she’s scored for Wright City (2-2) have helped her burst onto the scene as one of the top point-getters in the St. Louis area.
It’s a result she’s found to be a little surprising, she said.
“I definitely did not expect to start off this strong,” Elsenrath said. “I thought it would take a little bit to get used to the girls and how we all play together. Overall, I am really happy with how I have started the season and how we, as a team, have started.”
Elsenrath scored twice and added a pair of assists in a win at Hazelwood East on March 23 and followed that up with three goals and an assist in a home win over Mexico on March 30.
Wright City Coach Tori Harris said that Elsenrath’s personality has quickly endeared her to her teammates.
“She has immediately fit in with the older girls,” Harris said. “This team is very close-knit; we are like a family. All of the older girls and Haley are constantly joking around with one another and are continuously building that relationship with one another.”
That fit has extended onto the pitch.
Elsenrath said that the relationships she has formed with her teammates have led to her success on the stat sheet. While the numbers for her finishes and assists are hers, having a cohesive unit has led to her triumphs.
“My teammates have definitely helped me succeed in many ways,” Elsenrath said. “We all know how each other plays pretty well, so knowing how I play is helping me receive the type of passes that I am used to. They have also all brought a positive and uplifting environment, which helps everyone on and off the field.”
Elsenrath’s effort has already made an impression on her coach.
Harris said that the freshman's innate abilities are easy to see when watching her play.
“I think that her knowledge of the game has helped her tremendously with finding the back of the net,” Harris said. “She is able to read the defense and direct the play for herself as well as others in order to be in the right position to score.”
Having played soccer since she was three years old, Elsenrath plays in the summer for St. Charles FC and is a member of the Missouri ODP.
Elsenrath is also a multisport athlete, having played softball at Wright City in the fall.
She hit .282 with a pair of doubles and nine RBI. Elsenrath, once again, said she owes her success to that team and its culture, reminiscent of soccer.
“Softball was a very fun environment,” she said. “I’m very excited about soccer this year and all that is to come.”
For her part, Harris said she’s excited to see just what Elsenrath will do as she continues to grow as a player, teammate and person.
“Haley is great, both on and off the field,” Harris said. “At first, she may seem a bit shy or quiet, but once you get to know her and she gets out of her shell, she is a lot of fun and very energetic. She is the type of player who likes to joke but also will be serious and competitive when the time comes. As I am getting to know her more and building that relationship, we like to joke with one another.”
