SHEBOYGAN FALLS — The Sheboygan Falls Falcons are ranked in the top 10 in Division 3, and a big reason has been the play of junior Natalie Grunwald.
Grunwald’s 21 goals are tied for 12th in the state through May 12 but according to Falcons coach James Veeser, her impact goes far beyond scoring for No. 9 Sheboygan Falls.
“She’s a captain for a reason and when you watch her play she gives 150%,” Veeser said. “That inspires the rest of the team and a lot of players look up to her and want to be like her.”
Added Grunwald:
“I think its been pretty successful for me and my team,” Grunwald said. “We just have been doing a good job connecting in general.”
Grunwald says she’s come a long way from when she was a freshman and more likely to look like she was playing a different sport involving feet.
“My freshman year I was kind of like a field goal kind of girl,” Grunwald said with a laugh. “All my shots were above the goal.”
Yet while her growth as a player has been evident according to Veeser, Grunwald’s emotional maturity has been almost the bigger key to her success.
“When you’re a freshman you come in and you want to do well but you can see she’s grown as a person and that maturity shows on the field,” Veeser said. “She’s always giving her all but working with her teammates. She wants them to be successful too.”
Instead of looking up to players to learn the ropes, now Grunwald is doing the teaching.
“I looked up to the older girls who were captains when I was younger and I think I’m becoming a person people can look up to,” Grunwald said.
One key is her ability to not shy away from being vocal on the pitch.
“Communication, I think I talk a lot on the field,” Grunwald said of her biggest strength.
Veeser agrees with her assessment.
“I like to see that drive but that drive includes communication,” Veeser said. “You can tell how experienced she is on the field and her teammates feed off that.”
With just a few weeks left in the regular season, Grunwald has individual goals for sure, but her main concern is how the Falcons do as a team.
“I’m hoping to keep scoring goals and assisting my teammates but I’m hoping we can win regionals this year and get further in sectionals than we have the last two years,” Grunwald says.
Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 or tdombeck@htrnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Tom_Dombeck.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Natalie Grunwald’s drive lifting state-ranked Sheboygan Falls soccer
Reporting by Tom Dombeck, Sheboygan Press / Sheboygan Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
