Bellmont head soccer coach Steve Lee doesn’t even try to hide it anymore.
Several years ago, he made the conscious decision to create the hardest schedule he could at the start of the year to prepare his girls for a 2A tournament run each October.
In the past couple of years, Lee has been able to foster belief in his plan from his entire program despite the fact that it has become to find a win in the first two weeks year after year.
That course of results did not change this year after the team failed to score a win at the tough South Bend St. Joe tournament this weekend, but coach Lee says he saw exactly what he needed to from his team, which is undergoing a major injection of young players.
“The soccer weekend was a testament to our team’s resilience and determination,” said Lee.
The Braves managed a scoreless draw against South Bend Adams on Friday night, then dropped a 3-0 match against Mishawaka Marian, ranked third in the state and a perennial power.
“We emerged stronger.”
That’s always been the goal for Lee in this crazy opening week he has put together for his team.
The young BHS squad had five freshmen and three sophomores on the field at times in South Bend and showed remarkable improvement in every game.
“Freshman Ashley Bleke’s high-level performance, playing every minute, is a clear example,” noted Lee. “Freshmen Kaitlyn Barton, Grace Ruble, and Oni Krueckeberg also made significant contributions. These young players, along with our upperclassmen and senior captains Gwen Laurent, Anna Ruble, and Lillian Jin, are starting to come together as a team.”
Part of Lee’s opening gauntlet is an early game against Bishop Dwenger. Combined with a seemingly impossible fixture against an evergreen Homestead program and the tough weekend in South Bend, the match against Dwenger serves as a litmus test each season before the team takes a shot at winning another NE8 title.
“We have a hardworking group with a great work ethic. All 30 squad members work hard and improve with every game.”
Lee knows that his schedule is what his team needs, but he also knows that the tactic draws some criticism. It’s up to him and coach Skaggs to convince his team that it’s worth it.
“We need to compete with these teams to achieve our team’s goals. I never doubt my decision to accept the challenge of our demanding schedule, especially at the beginning of the year. This team seems to be up to the challenge. It is early in the season, but I enjoy witnessing the improvement and growth so far. If we can continue the work ethic and development and work as a team, I see bright things in our future.”
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