Simley Soccer Star Sets Her Goals Higher

An injured Jill Richgels pleaded her case to Simley High School girls soccer coach Cassie Husemann. She wanted to go in, and the Spartans certainly would have benefited with her in the game.

But Husemann said no. This time anyway.

“She has the heart,” said Husemann. “She knows that this team needs her.”

Trailing visiting Hastings 4-3 in girls soccer with time winding down, Simley was in eminent danger of losing its game on Aug. 30. It didn’t help matters that all-state forward Richgels was on the sidelines with a quadriceps strain after scoring the 50th goal of her career earlier in the game.

But the Spartans tied the game in the final minute, Richgels went in for the extra period, and the Spartans pulled out the win.

Richgels has been a standout player for Simley soccer team since she was a freshman. She scored 16 goals that season and earned all-conference honorable mention. Since that time she’s played her way to all-conference and all-state honors and a college scholarship.

“She’s been a great leader on our team,” said Husemann. “As a captain you need a senior to step up and be that leader. She’s not only vocal on the field, directing her teammates when they can’t hear me from the sidelines, but she also understands the game mechanics, the strategy behind things, so that’s really beneficial to have out there.”

Richgels is set to play soccer next year at Creighton University in Nebraska, a Division 1 soccer school.

Standing just 5-foot-2, Richgels isn’t the first person you’d pick out in the hall as a star athlete.

“I put in a lot of effort and try to be the best that I can, and I think people underestimate me a little bit, because I’m smaller,” she said. “I’m really short for a soccer player.”

Richgels thinks her best skills as a player are her soccer smarts and ability to see the field and read opponents.

“And I’m fast, that helps a lot,” she said with a small smile.

She also admits to also playing with a lot of emotion.

“Sometimes people say it’s a bad thing, but I have a lot of emotion when I play,” Richgels said. “Which makes me care a lot more and play better because of that.”

In addition to scoring her 50th career goal, Richgels has already scored the third hat trick of her career, with three goals against Henry Sibley.

“Jill also has very quick speed which allows her to get behind defenses before they even have time to turn, giving her many opportunities to go one-on-one with the goal keeper, said Husemann. “She mainly plays forward for us, but because of her summer defensive background she occasionally plays defense as well to help shut down the other team's offense.”

Richgels started playing soccer when she was four years old in the Inver Grove Heights Parks and Recreation league.

“I think I just always had a natural talent for it,” Richgels said. “And then it got better as I grew older.”

Her goals for this season include finishing with 70 goals scored, doing well in sections and making the state tournament.

With her scoring ability well known, Richgels regularly draws considerable attention from opponents.

“She does carry a lot of pressure at times,” said Husemann. “A lot of teams will man-mark her. Put their best defender against her. But she really carries that pressure well. But also she’s our leading assister almost every year, so she finds and collaborates with her team out there.”

A top scorer, Richgels will play defense in college, plays defense on her club soccer team and also switches to defense when strategy dictates it for the Spartans.

Richgels’s career accomplishments, so far:

2011 - Senior
Individual Recognition: Team captain, scored 50th career goal in game against Hastings on Aug. 30.

2010 - Junior
Goals: 17
Assists: 4
Shots on Goal: 53 
Team Record: 11-6-3 (ranked fourth in conference)
Individual Recognition: Team MVP, all-state and all-conference recognition

2009 - Sophomore
Goals: 17
Assists: 11
Shots on Goal: 62
Team Record: 11-6-5
Individual Recognition: All-state honorable mention, all-conference recognition

2008 - Freshman
Goals: 16
Assists: 4
Individual Recognition: All-conference honorable mention