By Eric Frantz For the Dayton Daily News

HUBER HEIGHTS | Last year, Wayne girls soccer coach Harold Steinke was trying to piece together a team. This season the Warriors are taking teams apart.

Returning 11 players from last year's squad that advanced to the Division I regional final after finishing an injury-plagued regular season 6-7-3, Wayne is undefeated and unscored upon through four games.

"(The momentum) has definitely rolled over," Steinke said. "They've got the mentality now that they know what it takes to win."

The Warriors also have their health. Because of injuries to key players last season, Steinke said Wayne was "constantly undergoing positional changes" and "trying to piece kids together in spots." The result was a losing regular season.

"I remember the first game of the tournament last year was the first time all year we started the 11 girls I wanted to start in the season opener," Steinke said. "As a coach you don't plan on injuries."

Steinke didn't expect to advance to the regional finals either. This year, though, anything less might be a disappointment.

"Our goal is to win the league (Greater Western Ohio Conference) which we haven't done yet and go farther in the tournament than we did last year," Steinke said. "That would mean our goal is to get to state."

Should Wayne remain at 100 percent, Columbus is within its grasp.

The Warriors have two key cogs in super scorer Stacey Lucas and standout goalie Jerrika Hartley.

Lucas has led the Warriors in scoring the last two years. As a sophomore, she scored 22 goals en route to All-Ohio honors. Last year after breaking her nose, she led the team with 11 goals and 9 assists while playing midfield. This season, Lucas, who has committed to Bowling Green, already has 11 goals and five assists.

Hartley, a three-year starter, has been pursued by Purdue, Indiana and BG. Junior midfielder Jasmine Galbreath and sophomore sweeper Nikki Gallegos help control tempo.

"It all boils down to us being able to possess the ball," Steinke said. "It's like football and time of possession. If we posses the ball, it cuts down on the opponents' opportunities to score. Offensively, we wait for the other team to make a mistake that gives us a chance to score."

Wayne has beaten its first four foes by a combined 17-0 score.

"The chemistry is good and they're playing in a system that works well for us," Steinke said. "The kids believe."

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