Bluejays soccer championship team largely intact for new season

Last week, the Three Lakes-Phelps boys varsity soccer team started the fall season with formal practice sessions at Don Burnside Park as they prepared for their opening game that took place early this week against Northland Pines. The practice sessions felt very comfortable for most of the players because more than a dozen returning letter winners were there to start the new year and to share memories of a regional championship year in 2025. Last season, the Jays won 13 games, including three postseason contests, and came within one win of qualifying for the 2025 WIAA state soccer tournament.

The 13 wins were the highest in decades of available data, and the team reached a milestone with their first-ever sectional win, a 4-0 dominating home victory against a solid Amery High School team. Given the recent history and the return of so many players, the mood was light during their practice sessions. Not only were the players familiar with each other, but the very experienced coaching staff also returned intact. Head coach Brad Volkmann leads the Jays with support from Phil Doherty and John Welsh as assistant coaches.

Although the team has a familiar composition to last season, there are some important roster changes that are waiting to challenge the squad. The team lost five starters to graduation: Grayson Polcaster, Cruz Melton, Ashton Bohm, Matthew Klein and Ethan Potrykus. This group worked together for years and were larger, more physical players on the pitch than the current lineup of smaller, faster players. How this will translate in game situations is not clear, but the pace of play will likely pick up.

Cohen Welsh and Lucas Riker are the only senior players on the team this season, and the coaching staff will look to each as leaders on the field. They both have great ball control and have tapped the back of the net dozens of times through their four years together. Welsh had 17 goals last season and could surpass that number this year if the team chemistry blends well.

Other players returning who were goal scorers last season include Charlie Welsh, who hit the back of the net in his first game as a freshman last year in the season opener at Northland Pines. Trenton Peterson and Will Conner each had goals in multiple games, while Isaiah Perlewitz, Ryker Hafer, and Zach DeHaan kicked their way into the scorebook once. The roster of returning players in non-scoring roles last year includes sophomores Corbyn Gutbrod, Ryker Hafer, Carson Plehn, Henry Weavers and Matthew Potrykus.

Masen Schoeneck returns as goalkeeper and looks to continue his solid performance of 2025 when he had seven shutout wins to his credit, including an 8-0 win at home versus Pines last October. The team will also welcome two new players to the roster: freshman Liam McKissack and sophomore Blake Joslin.
Assistant coach John Welsh said last week that he is optimistic about the new year.

“We are starting out with a sound foundation,” he said, “and the kids all have solid soccer fundamentals, especially after the regional championship year when they learned skills and earned confidence along the way.”

He also talked about the importance of team chemistry.

“There is a strong sense of team with our players who are all very supportive on and off the field of each other. We are all excited to get things started.”

While the result of the season opener in Eagle River against Pines was not available as this edition went to print, the two clubs have matched up closely for many years, and just last season split two games, with each holding their home field advantage. The Bluejays will next play their home opener this Friday, August 28, versus the Gremlins of Houghton High School with a 5:00 p.m. start time in Three Lakes.