'She's special': Melina Knowles the engine for state-ranked Plymouth Panthers girls soccer

PLYMOUTH — The midfield of a soccer team is like the heart of the human body or the engine of a car, everything else runs through it.

For the Plymouth Panthers girls soccer team, senior Melina Knowles is that engine keeping everything firing on all cylinders.

“She’s special,” Plymouth coach Brad Feick said of Knowles, an NCAA Division I commit of University of St. Thomas-Minnesota. “She’s a special player and she is leaving her mark, that’s for sure.”

Knowles, who also plays left wing for her club team, prefers to be in the hub of all the action.

“I love being in the midfield,” Knowles said. “I love being able to connect with the defense, make passes to the offense. Controlling the game makes me feel like a very valuable player and that I can set up my teammates to score goals.”

Keeping the automotive theme going, Knowles has the ability to see the field as if she was the spotter in a NASCAR race. It's her job to see where all her teammates are and decipher the best course of action, be it in organizing the attack or coordinating the defense.

“I feel as if my biggest strength is my vision of the whole soccer field,” Knowles said. “I feel as I’ve gotten older my vision has changed, I can see with a clear view. I can see passes one step ahead and delivering a perfect ball is one of my strengths.”

Feick has said one thing she’s encouraged Knowles to do is create her own shot more instead of simply trying to facilitate.

“She’s always been a confident player but now we have her knowing she can take the ball and create a shot,” Feick said. “She can see the field and deliver fantastic passes. It’s that combination of being able to score herself as well as set up her teammates. She’s amazing.”

Despite missing roughly half a dozen games due to injury last season, Knowles helped guide the Panthers to their first-ever state championship.

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Feick says the difference in Plymouth’s play with and without the standout senior is night and day.

“We’re a different team when we have Melina in that middle of the field, where she’s able to create and facilitate,” Feick said.

Being the reigning WIAA Division 3 state champions has added pressure, but Knowles relishes it. Plymouth is once again ranked among the top teams in D3 according to the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association.

“When you watch her play, she’s smiling,” Feick said. “She enjoys having that target, knowing teams will bring their best.”

Added Knowles:

“It helps with our confidence and our swagger but it puts a target on our backs,” Knowles said.

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Whether Plymouth wins a second-straight championship or not, Knowles future is clear, having committed to play for University of St. Thomas-Minnesota.

“That’s always been my goal,” Knowles said of playing DI. “I’ve always pushed myself the furthest I can to get the opportunity to play Division I soccer. I’m super thankful for the opportunity.”

Feick is confident Knowles will do whatever it takes to keep the engine humming before she hands over the keys upon graduation.

“Melina brings a ton of energy, a lot of leadership,” Feick said. “Right now you can tell she’s really hungry to do the best she possibly can for herself and her teammates.”

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

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: NCAA Division I commit Melina Knowles excels for Plymouth girls soccer