Girls state soccer: Goalie Hailey Trzaska is Highland's shutout queen

If it weren't for her bright orange jersey and shorts, you might not even know Highland girls soccer goalkeeper Hailey Trzaska was playing on most nights. That included a 2-0 win over Vandalia Butler in the Division III state semifinals Tuesday night. That's the way Trzaska likes it because if you don't notice her, it's in part because the defense in front of her has done its job. Trzaska and the Hornets have one more game, the D-III state championship against Bay at 1 p.m. today at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus. The Rockets feature high-scoring Notre Dame recruit Tessa Knapp, a Notre Dame recruit, but don't expect the high stakes to change the way Highland's keeper approaches her final game of the season. "It's not often I have a ball in my hands, which I love," Trzaska said. "I love being able to watch them play." That was the case once again Tuesday night at Wright State University's Alumni Field, as Highland picked up its sixth shutout in as many postseason games and Trzaska didn't face a single shot on goal. One of her defensive teammates made a play while Trzaska was laying on the turf with a little more than five minutes to play Tuesday. Trzaska had come off her line to make a play on an attacker, but she slid by the opponent, who leaped over her and looked to have a chance to cut the Highland lead in half before junior defender Morgan Hemming made a play on the ball to save the shutout and help preserve the win. Trzaska jumped to her feet and raced over to Hemming, grabbing her teammate and wrapping her in a big hug. "I just know that when I go after those, my teammates are running back to get my back," Trzaska said. "It's just pure love, knowing that we're all playing just for one thing." Love of teammates has been a theme for the senior, who never takes any credit for the team's school-record 17 shutouts this season. Instead, she heaps praise on the girls playing in front of her. "She is probably the most incredible teammate," Highland senior defender Jessica Sherman said. "She literally always gives everyone else credit. Even if she has a game-winning save in the game, she will still be giving her teammates credit." Despite not facing a single shot on goal in the win over Butler, Trzaska still faced pressure, especially in the first half when the teams played a scoreless 40 minutes. One of the best chances for the Aviators came with 25:20 left in the first half, when a ball was crossed into the box, but it was marked well by the Highland defense and eventually headed over the net. "I know I keep bringing up the defense, but it's literally all defense, the midfield, the whole team in general," Trzaska said. "The fact that we can go through the state semis with all shutouts the entire tournament and have almost no shots (allowed) is insane." It was reminiscent of a play and a response from Trzaska in a 2-0 win over Aurora on Oct. 9. In that game, an Aurora player had a run up the left sideline, but Trzsaska never took her right hand off the goalpost or her left hand off her hip as she watched one of her teammates mark the opponent all the way down the field and eventually play the ball out of bounds. "It's great to watch them play; I love watching them," Trzaska said after the win over Aurora. "Our defense is great." When the opposing teams do get past the defense and manage a shot on goal, Trzaska is there to stop it. Since allowing her last goal in the course of play in a 1-1 tie against Perrysburg on Sept. 28, the only time a ball has found the back of the net against the Hornets in the last 10 games was on a penalty kick in a 3-1 win over Massillon Jackson on Oct. 7. Otherwise, Trzaska has stopped all 13 shots on goal in that timeframe, including seven in the postseason. "She's just a rock," Highland coach Bill Zufall said. "She has really stepped up this year communicating and being more of a general in the back." Trzaska's success and confidence — and that of the team as a whole — can partly be tracked back to a game last season, when Highland played Medina to a 1-1 draw. At the time, Highland was unranked by the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association despite a 12-0 record, while Medina was the top-ranked team. Medina took a 1-0 lead less than seven minutes in, but Trzaska finished with nine saves to make sure that was the Bees' only tally, while the Hornets scored in the second half to tie it. "That made us a better team and made us stronger," Trzaska said. "The bond after that and the connection were great. We knew we were a good team, but that really settled it for us. It just helped us continue on." Contact Ryan Isley at sports@medina-gazette.com.