In their second year with head coach Robert Hunter the White Knoll High School Girls Varsity soccer team is having one of their best years ever.
The Lady Timberwolves have compiled a 16-4-1 record so far, 4-2 and 2nd place in Region 5-5A with 2 games remaining.
They’ll be there in the postseason, possibly as high as a second seed, depending on the results of this week’s games against River Bluff and Lexington. Hunter says it has been a combination of factors coming together which has fueled this successful season.
“We have a young group defensively but they have given us solid play all season,” he said. “We took a few games on the chin last year, but this time around it seems like we are much more able to handle the quality programs we play against in our region every game.” 
Last week, the team traveled to South Florence, which boasts two of the top players in the state, and defeated them soundly 7-0. 
For White Knoll, the top scoring threats on the field are senior forward Kaylee Williams and senior midfielder Ashlyn Simon. Hunter says the key to the team’s winning ways this year has been how the entire team works together.
“Attacking players are the ones who score and get the big headlines, but the defensive effort is what wins championships,” Hunter said. “If you don’t let the other team score, it’s much easier to play the kind of game you want to play. We have multiple options to score, and that stems from our offense knowing they have a solid group behind them.” 
Hunter added sophomore goalkeeper Breanna Hilton has been a key component for the defense. 
“If you have a good goalkeeper the defenders play differently and take more risks because they know she’s back there,” he said. “The offense knows they can be more dangerous and let the defenders do their job.” 
For the Timberwolves, hard work and leadership is just part of the daily routine, according to Hunter. 
“Our team leaders lead by example,” he said. “Ashlyn has had 3 straight knee injuries, but she’s still leads on the field and inspires the others to play the best they can and work as hard as they can. We just have a group of quality players that have the right mindset to work together, want to do well, and represent the school in a positive way.”