Houghton’s Grant Northey, center, defends against Negaunee while Audrey Waite, right, looks on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, at Alumni Field in Houghton, Mich. (Eddie O’Neill/The Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — Emily Palosaari is a self-described soccer girl.

So, when the opportunity came to take over the newly formed Houghton High School soccer club, it was a no-brainer.

“I was the assistant coach under Matt Meyers when we began three years ago,” she said. “When he stepped down last year, I took over.”

Palosaari, a Houghton High School administrative assistant, said her first year as coach was strange with COVID-19 restrictions and confusion over mask mandates among other things. This fall-soccer season has had a sense of normalcy to it.

“We have our biggest group of kids this year with 42,” she said. “That includes JV and varsity players. As well I have 10 girls on the team — three or four on varsity and the rest on JV. Everybody gets along and that is so good to see. The girls have really stepped up as it is such a different game playing with boys.”

She added that her players have all grown in their skills on the field over the last few months. She credits that to the Copper Country Soccer Association and the newly formed Houghton FC.

“I am not having to teach fundamentals because these two groups are laying the foundation,” said Palosaari who played college soccer at Husson University in Maine 10 years ago. “It sets me up nicely to teach the game and not how to kick the ball.”

The varsity Gremlin team sits on a 6-1-2 record while the JV squad earned its first win of the season earlier this week with a 7-1 victory over Negaunee and improved to 1-4-1.

As a club team, the soccer program at Houghton is not recognized as a sanctioned high school sport by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. They are not alone. While the Gremlins will play soccer teams from Marquette, Ironwood and Escanaba they are not “official” in the eyes of Michigan high school sports.

“I think that the U.P. is the only place where high school soccer isn’t sanctioned,” Palosaari said.

She is hoping to change that.

“If we could get more schools involved, we could move towards MHSSA recognition here in the U.P.,” she said. “We just need the interest, and I think we will get there, but who know when.”

In the meantime the Gremlins have two more weeks of play. Next up the varsity and the JV will face Marquette here at home on Saturday.