Lakeshore Elite girls soccer: Cora Erickson on pace to rewrite state record books

CEDAR GROVE — It’s almost hard to put into words what Cedar Grove-Belgium Rockets’ Cora Erickson has accomplished in three girls high school soccer seasons.

The best way to describe the 2024 Lakeshore Elite girls soccer player of the year is historic , but still that somehow doesn’t do her justice.

Lakeshore Elite is an all-area team comprised of schools from Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties.

Maybe the best descriptor would be inconceivable, because Erickson is doing things nobody really thought possible.

If Erickson never plays another game, she would finish her career with 187 goals and three of the top 10 all-time single seasons in state history. She’s scored 66 goals each of the past two seasons, tied for third best all time.

“She has been absolutely unbelievable,” Cedar Grove-Belgium coach Zac Garza said. “Its one thing to have bucket loads of talent but another thing to put in the time to become a game changer at the highest level.”

When Ozaukee’s Ashley Bares set the all-time record of 224 in 2007, it was 66 goals higher than anyone else. It was deemed untouchable.

Erickson has never scored fewer than 55 goals in a season and is 37 goals shy from breaking the record. If she simply repeats that lowest total, the new record would be 242.

“It’s always in the back of her mind and my mind that she has a chance to achieve greatness,” Garza said. “Have to keep your head down and keep grinding.”

Erickson herself has a hard time wrapping her mind around everything.

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“Kind of crazy to think about,” Erickson said. “I would have never dreamed of this. My dream was just to be on varsity.”

And it might be easy to maybe dismiss the numbers Erickson is putting up as coming against lesser opponents but that’s not the case.

Last season she tied the WIAA Division 4 state tournament record with five goals in a single tournament. This year, she broke it by scoring seven in two games.

“There’s times where she just goes ‘I’m going to take this game over’ and she does just that,” Garza said.

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Erickson scored four goals, tying the Division 4 record, in the state semifinals then followed it up with three more to help the Rockets with the first championship in program history last month.

“I like how we play harder teams,” Erickson said. “When people see how many goals I’m getting they think it's against easy teams, but it's not.”

Garza knew before Erickson played a minute of varsity she would likely become the school’s all-time leading scorer. He just didn’t imagine she might become the state’s all-time leader, too.

“There were so many things that seemed unattainable as a program,” Garza said. “When you look at that (all-time) list you see pro soccer players, multiple NCAA Division I players. Its so hard to put into words how special it is.”

Erickson has verbally committed to NCAA Division I Eastern Illinois, but acknowledges she’s had contact with larger schools.

“I’ve gotten a couple emails from bigger schools but nothing that has led to anything,” Erickson said.

And while she wouldn’t rule out flipping her commitment, she’s not opposed to playing at a smaller DI program either.

“It would have to depend on how much scholarship money I’d get,” Erickson said. “I’m happy with Eastern Illinois because its a good balance between school and soccer.”

Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 or tdombeck@htrnews.com . Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Tom_Dombeck .

LAKESHORE ELITE GIRLS SOCCER TEAM 2024

Forward: Cora Erickson, jr., Cedar Grove-Belgium (POY); Hailey Batzner, sr., Plymouth; Kalli Knowles, so., Plymouth. Midfielder: Melina Knowles, sr., Plymouth; Lydia Vander-Meer, sr., Kiel; Emerson Fitzgerald, jr., Sheboygan North; Taavi Saeger, so., Kiel. Defender: Olivia Bahr, jr., Cedar Grove-Belgium; Erica Herzog, sr., Sheboygan North; Campbell Booth, jr., Plymouth. Goalkeeper: Paige Kurtz, jr., Plymouth. Honorable Mention: Mya Grams, so., Sheboygan North; Brielle Hamilton, jr., Sheboygan North; Alayna Lloyd, jr., Sheboygan South; Molly Munson, jr., Plymouth; Taylor Trakel, sr.,Plymouth; Cora Nothem, jr., Plymouth; Alexis Balde, jr., Plymouth; Lillian Reinl, jr., Sheboygan Falls; Maddison McDole, so., Kiel; Natalya Langenfeld, sr., New Holstein; Brynne Carroll, sr., Sheboygan Falls; Natalie Grunwald, fr., Sheboygan Falls; Addie Schliewe, jr., Sheboygan Falls; Elisheba Sippel, sr., Kiel; Addison Uselding, jr., Kiel; Danielle Mueller, sr., Kiel; Aaliyah Braun, jr., Valders; Ava Fuhrmann, fr., Kiel; Mollie Schliewe, fr., Sheboygan Falls; Jasmine Bink, so., Kiel; Lauren Stangel, jr., Roncalli; Caryn Reiser, jr., New Holstein; Rianna Robbins, so., Roncalli; Makynna Jaeger, sr., New Holstein; Abby Beaumont, fr., Sheboygan Falls; Madyson Gutschow, sr., Kiel; Maygen Ertman, jr., Roncalli; Aubrey Marti, jr., Cedar Grove-Belgium; Grace Konzak, jr., Cedar Grove-Belgium; Aubrey Johnson, so., Cedar Grove-Belgium; Ariana Jelenc, sr., Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah; Savanna Buttram, jr., Oostburg; Kamrin Kunz, jr., Ozaukee/Random Lake; Keeran Blattner, so., Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian; Taylor Batt, sr., Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian; Kami Horn, so., Cedar Grove-Belgium; Teagan O’Neil, sr., Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah; Kendall Gottsacker, sr., Howards Grove; Emerson Schueller, sr., Kohler; Taylor Teunissen, so., Oostburg; Ingrid Steinbock, sr., Oostburg; Chloe Dybul, so., Ozaukee/Random Lake; Reese Prom, so., Ozaukee/Random Lake; Maria Zylstra, sr., Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Lakeshore Elite girls soccer: Cora Erickson on pace to rewrite state record books