With their two top goal scorers, goalkeeper and several other key players returning this spring, the Northwest girls soccer team is positioned to challenge for conference and district championships.
The Lions finished 15-9-1 overall and 2-7 in the Suburban Conference Red pool last year. Webster Groves swept the Red pool at 9-0. Northwest lost 3-0 to Lindbergh, a top-tier Yellow Pool team, in the first round of the Class 4 District 1 tournament. The Lions’ last district win was in 2019, 2-1 over Seckman in double overtime.
“We’re very similar to what we were last year,” said Northwest first-year head coach Kyle Jarnagin, who was a longtime assistant for the Lions. “We should be a year better, stronger and faster. We lost three seniors and brought in three freshmen.”
Senior Amelia Lawrence, a center attacking midfielder, scored a team-high 24 goals to go with 13 assists for 61 points last season. She has signed with Southeast Missouri State, making her the first NCAA Division I recruit from Northwest in years. She had two four-goal games a year ago, against Dixon and De Soto.
“Most games, she was the best player on the field,” Jarnagin said. “She’s one of the most dynamic players in St. Louis. She has elite speed and picks the ball up, and teams are terrified when she drives toward the back line. She can go through four or five defenders. That frees up our other forwards.”
Sophomore striker Kayla Boyer scored 22 goals and netted three hat tricks as a freshman. Boyer is one of several Lions who compete on club teams in the offseason.
“She’s incredibly skilled,” Jarnagin said. “She always led her team in goals before high school, so it wasn’t a huge shock. She has incredible speed and is a finisher with both feet. She can take you off the dribble with great one-on-one skills. She’s everything you’d want in a forward.”
In the Lions’ 4-4-2 formation, sophomore Abby Sehnert and junior Brooke Hempfling play up front with Boyer. Hempfling is more of a traditional winger who likes to create for the other forwards. She set a school record for sophomores with 10 assists in 2024. Jarnagin expects Sehnert to take a big jump in production this year.
“She is called an inverted winger,” he said. “Again, incredible one-on-one and very creative.”
Senior captain Ashley Boyer, Kayla’s sister, returns at defensive midfield. Jarnagin called her a coach’s dream.
“She’s a great leader, incredibly skilled – a deep-line playmaker out of the midfield.”
Sophomore wing midfielder Lydia Kelley played one game last year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
“Our trajectory would have been different had she been healthy,” Jarnagin said. “She’s got the ability to run all day. She ran cross country. She likes to take defenders on (and is) perfect for that wing spot.”
In the backfield, junior Kendall Hamilton is a returning captain. Jarnagin said she’s intelligent, reads the game well and performs her role with good positioning.
Senior Aubrey Eubanks also returns to the backfield for her fourth season on the varsity.
“She’s tenacious,” the coach said. “You have to beat her two or three times and she will make life difficult for opposing forwards.”
Freshmen Paige Kreft and Abby Maynard have impressed Jarnagin enough through a week of practice to earn the other two starting backfield positions.
“(Kreft) is extremely aggressive and loves physical battles,” he said. “She’s a hard tackler but refined on the ball – great at dead balls, corner kicks and free kicks. Abby has good speed and she’s extremely calm on the ball. She plays well beyond her years.”
Junior goalkeeper Kylie Bueter played 2,000 minutes, posted 14 shutouts and had a stingy 0.88 goals-against average last year.
“She’s a phenomenal shot-stopper and she’s gotten better from last year,” Jarnagin said. “She’s been great in the first week of practice. She’s a vocal leader (and) gets a lot of shots at practice.”
Jarnagin said his team’s schedule is tougher this season, starting with the Lutheran St. Charles Tournament, which kicks off March 24. Seeding and scheduling for the tournament were incomplete at the Leader deadline.
All schools are waiting on the Missouri State High School Activities Association to release its classifications and district assignments. Jackson is the defending District 1 champion. The Indians were shut out in the state quarterfinals by eventual champion Nerinx Hall.
“There’s a few teams in our conference with multiple Division I players,” Jarnagin said. “It’s definitely going to be a trial by fire. I’ve challenged (the team). We want to take a step forward in the conference. We gave up half as many goals in conference games last year. Our district is a meatgrinder; Jackson’s good at everything. They’re our biggest rival by far.”