The season is now underway for the Notre Dame girls soccer team. This season will be harder for the team as they have moved up a division and will now be competing at the Division 2 level.

Although the team has been to state many times, including the previous two years, they have fallen short of a state title. The girls soccer program has never brought home the gold ball.

The team is ready for the challenges that Division 2 has to offer. Already ranked sixth in the state at the Division 2 level, the girls have the potential to achieve something great.

Saturday, April 1, was a big day for the Lady Tritons as they brought home two wins. The team defeated Waukesha South 4-0, with a pair of goals from junior Trudy Quidzinski and sophomore Jenna Cuene.

However, more importantly, the team beat Waukesha West. Waukesha West is ranked number 5 in Division 2, right ahead of Notre Dame. Therefore, it was a huge victory for the team. The girls fought hard and came away with a 3-2 win with goals from junior Trudy Quidzinski, junior Kiki Kussow and senior Katelyn Morgan. This was the first time in program history that the team has beaten Waukesha West.

The team’s coaching staff includes head coach Bob Rickards; assistant coach Nick Browne; assistant Coach Alex Zeller, who is a player at UW-Green Bay; and goalkeeper coach Marty Metzler.

Junior varsity is coached by Notre Dame Academy alum Emily Kaufmann.

Captains for the varsity team include Katelyn Morgan, Emma Riedi, Trudy Quidzinski, and Madi Polack.

Katelyn Morgan said, “I am really excited for the season because we have a lot of talent this year. Also, we have some new talent on our roster, which I think will help us out. I really think we can accomplish a lot this year.”

“We might have lost a lot of seniors, but our will to win has not changed one bit. The talent we have this year is something to be very grateful for. This year we can hopefully win ourselves a gold ball,” said Trudy Quidzinski.

The phrase “WE RISE” appears on their warm-up shirts this year. This phrase signifies the team moving up from Division 3 to Division 2.

Before every game, the team prays at the center of the field. The team is adding something in addition to the prayer this year. At the center of the field, head coach Bob Rickards shouts “With Strength” and the girls respond “WE RISE.” Then, he says “With Teamwork,” and the girls respond “WE RISE.” Lastly, he shouts “With God,” and the girls shout “WE RISE.”

This year the Lady Tritons hope to rise up and bring home the gold ball to Green Bay.