TJ soccer player Tyler Moehlman looks to be the best he can be on the field
Photo by Kiera Classen
Since the age of five, Tyler Moehlman has been engaging in the sport of soccer. Among many other math enthusiasts in Math Teacher Tim Owens‘ room at Excel time, Tyler stated, “I started playing soccer because my dad, uncle, and brother always loved soccer. So I started playing.”
A junior this year, Moehlman has always been a master of soccer. He came in with high expectations his freshman year when he was a big star on the JV team. Once he really exceeded expectations on that level, he was called up to Varsity. “I didn’t start any games, but I was able to sub and see how fast the varsity level was played at. It was a great experience.”
Once Moehlman got a taste at the varsity level he didn’t want to give it up. In his sophomore year he was able to start a couple games for TJ. In one of those starts came, what he describes as the greatest moment of his soccer life. “We were playing West and I scored my first varsity goal. Even though we lost the game, I left feeling proud of myself.” Moehlman set the tone for the rest of his high school career.
Moehlman has also enjoys soccer because it has expanded his social horizons. “Playing at TJ has allowed me to make lots of good friends,” Moehlman stated, with that large famous smile he always has on his face. One of Moehlman’s soccer friends, even before coming to TJ, is Nate Gengler. “(Moehlman) is supportive no matter what goes down on the pitch. He also sets a great example for the freshmen of how to play hard and play smart.” Gengler, a Junior this year, is another varsity player who hopes for Moehlman to leave a legacy for future Spartan soccer players.
“(Moehlman) has a lot of speed and torches people down the field,” Ty Roder, a classmate of Moehlman’s said. Even with the similar names, both play different styles of soccer on the field. Much like Roder noted, Moehlman uses his natural speed to outrun the competition. Not only can he handle the ball with great agility, he can also run down a player on the opposing team with the ball. In the Kennedy game last year, Moehlman should have been on the receiving end of a crossing pass. It was intercepted and the Kennedy player tried to move to ball down the field. Moehlman quickly played a stonewall defense and was able to get the ball back.
Even with past success, (six career goals) Moehlman is looking forward to this post season. He has helped the team to competitive scores and an improved season from last year. “The 2010 campaign was tough. We knew as a team that we could have to re-group in the off-season and try to win games in 2011.” Even after the Gateway scrimmage, Moehlman knew this year’s team would be playing better than the last. With the season reaching its end, this year’s team has exceeded expectations and has taken the 4A league championship.
In one game in particular, Moehlman played very well with the team against Pamona High School. “Last year we really struggled against this team, but we ended up playing well with varsity.” With Moehlman only playing one half, for the most part, he played shut down defense taking away multiple passes, and stopped the Pamona attack early on. This also primed Moehlman for a good offensive push for the Spartans. He moved the ball down field faster than any other player on the team, and attempted to get the ball to leading team scorer, freshman Edward Yepes. Teammate Roder said, “From a distance, I could see that he was running well, and was playing a good game.”
Moehlman says he always has to find a way to keep himself going. “There are points in the season when you feel like the season is going on too long.” Yet, Tyler is able to keep not just himself, but the rest of his teammates motivated. He wants to show them that he won’t give up on them, so that in the future they won’t give up on him. “I want us to stick together as a team the whole way, no matter how far we end up going.”
Yet, for Moehlman it is hard not to look forward to his Senior season, the time when he gets to define who he was is the field for the soccer team. Moehlman stated, “I want to go out with a bang (my senior season).” Moehlman says he wants to leave TJ with a legacy that no one can replace. He wants to put in the hard work that he has learned over the years from this soccer program; he says he wants to show how intelligent he is, and how much the words “student-athlete” mean to him.
Moehlman wants to make a mountain of TJ Spartan excellence.
