Noah Lorenz making an impact on Blue Jay soccer program
· Yahoo Sports
Oct. 17—JAMESTOWN — A couple of years ago, Noah Lorenz had to exit the Jamestown High School soccer season early.
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"I broke my arm during a game that year," said Lorenz, a junior at Jamestown High School. "I got fouled in a game against Williston. I extended my arm and the other players fell on it and it snapped. I remember coming off the field and going to the emergency room at halftime and I got back right before the game ended. I played five out of the 16 games that season because I was out injured the rest of the season."
Now, two years later in his second year as a starter, Lorenz got to play the whole season through.
"I just wanted to improve as much as possible and get the best out of this season," Lorenz said. "(The upperclassmen) also wanted to help the underclassmen gain confidence and help them grow to have a winning program."
Lorenz started playing soccer when he was 3 years old.
"My older brother was playing at the time, and my parents thought it would be something good for me to learn," Lorenz said. "I have played as an outside back, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, wingers and a striker; my favorite position is the 10 or the attacking midfielder because I get on the ball and can try and create chances for my team."
Lorenz started playing at the varsity level as a sophomore. He was named as a starter in his first year and ended the 2025 season with two goals and three assists for five total points.
From the 2025 team, Jamestown lost all but two major contributors, which meant Lorenz had to step up from the get-go.
Lorenz's offseason training incorporated a lot of fitness and ball control such as juggling off the wall, cone drills and quick shots. The junior spent around one to two hours a day on the field or in his backyard working on his skills.
"The most challenging thing I have had to get through with soccer is my confidence, if I made mistakes in a game, I would slowly start to shut off and just get in my head," Lorenz said. "Coach Harty has been amazing in helping me along the way.
"Prior to my first practice, I was scared to see what the team would look like because we have had such a change in our roster; after the first practice, I knew it would be a lot different and harder than last year, but if we put in the work, I felt we would have a chance," he said. "Our expectations for this season were to surprise everyone and be the underdogs that make it to State (but) now that we can't make State, the goal was to use the rest of the season to prepare for next year."
Lorenz said his goal as a teammate was to be a resource for the underclassmen to gain confidence and help them grow to have a winning program.
"Teammates make the program fun and help you want to show up," Lorenz said. "You want to work hard for your teammates, and that makes everyone want to do as good as possible. Even though we aren't making State, it was still a good season for our younger players. I also want to thank our seniors for everything they have done along with our coaching staff. They have helped us more than they know, and it means a lot to me."
The Blue Jays capped off their season with a 3-2 loss to Minot North on Oct. 8 at Rotary Field. Lorenz and his teammates finished out the year with a record of 3-10-3.
Grady Eckart was the team's top scorer for the season with 16 points, while goalkeeper Evan Harty made 132 saves. The Jays will be losing 10 seniors to graduation.
Lorenz ended the year with two goals and four assists for a total of eight points. He scored a game-high three points on Aug. 20 against Minot North.
"I improved in a lot of different aspects from last year," Lorenz said. "I spent my off-season working on my fitness and trying to control the ball. This year I found myself getting on the ball and actually attacking the net and shooting. I took more 1-on-1 chances, and I will continue to improve on my individual talents."