By Joanna Chadwick
Hutchinson junior Harlie Wilson learned at an extremely young age that good things happen when she gets the soccer ball to senior Josie Hallier.
“You can put the ball at Josie’s feet, and she’ll do just about anything to get past someone,” Wilson said. “Her touch is excellent, and she’s an all-around athlete…. She attacks very well. She will take anyone she wants out there in one-on-one.”
Hallier, who scored four goals in a in a win over Wichita Southeast, has six goals and one assist.
“She’s got a pretty good shot,” Hutchinson coach Daniel Vieyra said. “She can score from anywhere. She’s had two or three goals this season from 30 yards out. At Andover, I believe, she scored from about 30 out to tie it up for us.”
Hallier scored 22 goals as a sophomore, with nine assists from Wilson. Hallier has 38 goals in her career, 10 assists.
“They’re our dynamic duo,” Vieyra said. “… (Harlie’s) our engine; she’s all over the field, helps us get the ball and go forward. And Josie is our finisher. We play our offense through her, even if she’s not scoring.”
Both are midfielders.
“We’ve played together a very long time,” Wilson said. “We have a connection when we play together. We know our best techniques and our strengths, and we go out there and use them.”
The two started playing together in U8, and have the same soccer heroes in Mia Hamm and Alex Morgan.
Hallier has signed to play at Butler Community College, while Wilson has made an oral commitment to Butler.
“Off the field, we’re always just laughing together,” Hallier said. “She’s just a friend where everything is funny…. On the field, we just always know where each other will be. When we look at each other, we know what the other one is thinking.”
The teammates missed playing high school ball together last spring, so they were thrilled at getting one final season in high school together.
But then Wilson suffered an ankle injury that forced her to miss four games. She returns Tuesday on a limited basis.
“Harlie’s really good at finding the through ball,” Hallier said. “She’s good at finding it, and then knowing where to play it next. I think I play like Harlie. When I play midfield, I know where to keep it and where to go with it next.
“I think why I like the midfield so much is because you basically control the game. You set the pace because you’re always around the ball. I just like it because you get to do everything — defend and attack.”
