MONROE - Before every soccer game, Monroe High School junior Morgan Seffrood goes through a ritual during which she and teammate Olivia Werth slap each other on the face and on the hand three times.
"We slap each other and say we can do this, and we do it three times," Seffrood said. "It's something we have done since Rebel soccer. It just calms me down to help me remember I have the whole team behind me, and they will work hard and I will work hard."
The Monroe girls soccer team is off to a 4-3-2 start. A big reason has been Seffrood, who leads the team with seven goals in the first nine games.
Soccer has always been Seffrood's passion. She started playing the game when she was 7 years old. Not only does she excel at soccer, but she's on the Monroe High School dance team and works at Pizza Hut.
It's relationships and team building that Seffrood is drawn to, and she said she enjoys the family aspect of being on the soccer team.
"It's crazy how much you come together in a season," she said. "Everyone shares the same passion."
When she's not studying, watching biology videos (she wants to be a pediatrician), playing soccer or working at Pizza Hut, Seffrood said her hobbies are spending time with family and friends. She enjoys reading realistic fiction novels and non-fiction novels, and she said watching comedy and family feel-good movies are her favorites.
Seffrood still has time before she needs to choose a college. Right now, she's in the middle of the action for the Cheesemakers. She takes pride in being the top scorer on the team, but she understands it takes strong teammates to have success.
"It's definitely an honor," Seffrood said. "I feel like as a forward my responsibility to the team is to score more goals. I know my defense and midfielders are working really hard to get me the ball. When I get it, I have to work even harder to keep it on that end of the field and score a goal. They count on me as much as I count on them."
First-year Monroe coach Kyle Kasten said Seffrood has an ability to be in the right position to score goals.
"Morgan has a very high motor and a nose for the goal," Kasten said. "She's always moving, and she's always in a position to take shots. She's capitalized on her opportunities."
She has worked with Monroe assistant coach Curt Zastrow on setting up her scoring opportunities.
"I think I have improved on my dynamic runs," she said. "Curt Zastrow used to play forward, and he has helped me move off the ball so I can create some space and get the ball. I think I have gotten a lot better at knowing what my second move is before the ball gets there. I feel like I have become more aggressive."
Kasten said Zastrow is a great asset to the soccer team because he played Division I soccer at Northern Illinois University.
"He brings a lot of skill and knowledge to our players," Kasten said. "Morgan and all of our players have learned from him."
As one of the more athletic players on the team, Seffrood also can play a role in helping out the defenders by peeling back and helping thwart an attack on defense.
"I feel like I have tried to check back and help out the defenders and midfielders more," she said. "I'm still working at the top of the box trying to score goals."
Monroe will play Sugar River, which is ranked fourth in the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association state poll, at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Honey Creek Park. Sugar River edged Monroe 1-0 in a WIAA Division 3 regional championship game last year on the way to the state tournament.
"It's definitely going to be a good game," Seffrood said. "I know this week in practice will be a lot harder week because we are trying to prepare ourselves mentally and physically. We want to come out and show them we are good competition. We want to work very hard to give them a run for their money."
If Seffrood wants to continue to play soccer in college, Kasten believes she could have an opportunity.
"We do the best we can with the amount of time we have," Kasten said. "We do what we can to support their goals, dreams and aspirations. If she wants to put in the time, I think she has an opportunity to play at the next level."
"We slap each other and say we can do this, and we do it three times," Seffrood said. "It's something we have done since Rebel soccer. It just calms me down to help me remember I have the whole team behind me, and they will work hard and I will work hard."
The Monroe girls soccer team is off to a 4-3-2 start. A big reason has been Seffrood, who leads the team with seven goals in the first nine games.
Soccer has always been Seffrood's passion. She started playing the game when she was 7 years old. Not only does she excel at soccer, but she's on the Monroe High School dance team and works at Pizza Hut.
It's relationships and team building that Seffrood is drawn to, and she said she enjoys the family aspect of being on the soccer team.
"It's crazy how much you come together in a season," she said. "Everyone shares the same passion."
When she's not studying, watching biology videos (she wants to be a pediatrician), playing soccer or working at Pizza Hut, Seffrood said her hobbies are spending time with family and friends. She enjoys reading realistic fiction novels and non-fiction novels, and she said watching comedy and family feel-good movies are her favorites.
Seffrood still has time before she needs to choose a college. Right now, she's in the middle of the action for the Cheesemakers. She takes pride in being the top scorer on the team, but she understands it takes strong teammates to have success.
"It's definitely an honor," Seffrood said. "I feel like as a forward my responsibility to the team is to score more goals. I know my defense and midfielders are working really hard to get me the ball. When I get it, I have to work even harder to keep it on that end of the field and score a goal. They count on me as much as I count on them."
First-year Monroe coach Kyle Kasten said Seffrood has an ability to be in the right position to score goals.
"Morgan has a very high motor and a nose for the goal," Kasten said. "She's always moving, and she's always in a position to take shots. She's capitalized on her opportunities."
She has worked with Monroe assistant coach Curt Zastrow on setting up her scoring opportunities.
"I think I have improved on my dynamic runs," she said. "Curt Zastrow used to play forward, and he has helped me move off the ball so I can create some space and get the ball. I think I have gotten a lot better at knowing what my second move is before the ball gets there. I feel like I have become more aggressive."
Kasten said Zastrow is a great asset to the soccer team because he played Division I soccer at Northern Illinois University.
"He brings a lot of skill and knowledge to our players," Kasten said. "Morgan and all of our players have learned from him."
As one of the more athletic players on the team, Seffrood also can play a role in helping out the defenders by peeling back and helping thwart an attack on defense.
"I feel like I have tried to check back and help out the defenders and midfielders more," she said. "I'm still working at the top of the box trying to score goals."
Monroe will play Sugar River, which is ranked fourth in the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association state poll, at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Honey Creek Park. Sugar River edged Monroe 1-0 in a WIAA Division 3 regional championship game last year on the way to the state tournament.
"It's definitely going to be a good game," Seffrood said. "I know this week in practice will be a lot harder week because we are trying to prepare ourselves mentally and physically. We want to come out and show them we are good competition. We want to work very hard to give them a run for their money."
If Seffrood wants to continue to play soccer in college, Kasten believes she could have an opportunity.
"We do the best we can with the amount of time we have," Kasten said. "We do what we can to support their goals, dreams and aspirations. If she wants to put in the time, I think she has an opportunity to play at the next level."
