LASTING IMPRESSION
Four-year varsity letter winners don’t come through The Woodlands’ girls soccer program often. With plenty of talented, college-bound players on the roster each season, it’s hard to get on the field as a freshman. But that’s exactly what Marley Krach was able to do. Four years later, the senior midfielder capped her career with a run to the Class 6A state semifinals. The Woodlands was one of three Greater Houston girls teams to reach the sixth round of the playoffs, joining Memorial and Friendswood. Krach was instrumental in helping the Highlanders get there for the first time since 2010.
The Woodlands ultimately saw its campaign end with a 4-0 loss to Flower Mound in the state semifinals. The team finished with a 23-2 record.
“She was determined from the get-go to make her mark and really leave her legacy,” The Woodlands coach Dina Graves said. “Not just her, but the whole senior class. She made a big push for that, and you could tell every day she was always wanting to know how we could get better. She was just tremendous in that leadership role this year.”
Krach was a first-team all-state selection by the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches. She finished her final prep season with 18 goals and six assists, but also was one of the primary facilitators in the middle of the field. Krach constantly made the right pass and set up her teammates for goals and assists. Eight Highlanders finished with six or more goals.
Krach also scored the lone goal in the Region II-6A championship to lift The Woodlands past Mansfield Lake Ridge and back to the state final four.
For her leadership, high level of play and clutch performances, she is the All-Greater Houston Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
“She has great size, and she sees the field really well,” Graves said. “She just had that determination to make things happen, and when you watched us play, you saw that.”
Q: There was a lot of talent on this year’s roster. What was the key to making it all work?
A: “We got a lot of new players this year, so the key was just finding that team cohesiveness in the beginning. Once we got that down, there was no stopping us.”
Q: What did it mean to advance that far after having last season cut short?
A: “It meant a lot. We all just knew that we had to take advantage of every opportunity because you never know when it’s going to come to a halt. It just taught us to make the most out of everything.”
Q: How exciting was it to be part of the playoff run, especially when you had some tough battles toward the end?
A: It was a really fun, especially against Mansfield (in the regional semifinals). … It went all the way to the seventh round of PKs, which was super exciting. Bella (Hollenbach), our keeper, came up with a huge save, and the whole team went crazy.”
Q: How do you feel like you’ve grown as a player over the past four years in this program?
A: “I think I’ve grown a lot, from being a freshman and not seeing that many minutes to being a senior captain this year. I really went through all the phases, and it just taught me to work hard and never lose sight of what your goals are.”
Q: You’re moving on to play at Miami (Ohio). What most excites you about that?
A: “I’m really excited to play Division I soccer because that’s been one of my dreams since I was in first grade. I’m just excited to meet new players, have new coaches and just get another opportunity to play the sport I love.”