Warsaw senior forward Elizabeth Van Wormer wraps around Wawasee defender Bethany Hapner to get the touch on what would become goal number 68 in her illustrious career, passing Meredith Hollar as the all-time leading goal scorer in Warsaw girls soccer history. (Photos by Mike Deak)

PLYMOUTH – History was achieved Thursday in Plymouth, and by design, the history maker preferred to not make a big deal about it.

As a lofting cross from Sydney Weideman zipped into the Wawasee penalty area, vacant space was canvassed by Elizabeth Van Wormer. As she had done three times already in the match, Van Wormer waited patiently for her moment, connected, and turned to hug her assisting teammate.

She didn’t make a fuss. She didn’t raise her arms in the air, or even offer much more than a momentary fist pump. Van Wormer had just made history, and in her own way, it was a perfect moment to celebrate the way she prefers.

Scoring four goals in 11 minutes, Van Wormer’s total of 64 quickly became 68, and with it, a new school record. Meredith Hollar, who was a very deliberate poweful goal scorer who is currently haunting defenses with Grace College, had her record run become part of the match scouting report. Defenses were doing everything they could to stop Hollar, who still went berserk. Van Wormer, who was a freshmen on the pitch when Hollar scored her 62nd goal to pass Ashley Kitchens, remembered the night well.

Van Wormer entered Thursday’s sectional semi-final against Wawasee already the holder of two Warsaw soccer records – scoring five goals against Wawasee Sept. 26 she matched Hollar in prolific scoring; and already had passed Hollar in that Sept. 26 match in notching her 154th career point.

“The first two went in, and I was a little surprised then it just went bang, bang, bang, bang,” Van Wormer said. “After the last time we played (Wawasee), I figured it would have been a lot harder to get goals against them. It was a big shock at first that it happened right away.”

Van Wormer knew what her number was coming in, but didn’t think getting to the mark would have been so easy. Her first four shots all went in, and nearly got a fifth late in the first half when a bounding ball skipped over her foot without anyone between her and the empty net. The numbers are impressive, even to the passively aggressive competitor, but celebrating her accomplishments in a sectional wasn’t on her mind.

“There is no way I get to a record like that without my great teammates. They have been the biggest reason I got to this point,” Van Wormer said with vintage modesty. “I didn’t want me scoring goals to be the focus of the game. This is a sectional and we aren’t here to watch me score. We’re here to win the title and keep going in the tournament. I wanted to make sure that was the focus, not on anything else.”

Van Wormer also tied another school record Thursday, notching her 14th assist of the season late in the first half on a goal by Alyssa Atkins. The helper tied Van Wormer with Hannah Cutshall, who registered 14 assists in 2010 – likely most to the feet of Hollar. Van Wormer’s assist also pushed her to 30 in her career, one shy of Kitchens’ school record of 31.

The nine points Van Wormer tallied Thursday pushed her season points total to 64, which passed Hollar’s old record of 61 back in 2010. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Van Wormer has chosen Grace College, where she could join Hollar on the pitch again.

The only other major scoring mark Van Wormer would be chasing would be the goals in a season, which Hollar holds at 28 in 2010. Van Wormer has 25 so far this season with at least Saturday’s sectional final to be played.

“It just went through my head that I got the fourth one,” Van Wormer said of watching the 68th rest in the back of the net. “It was a happy moment, but I wanted to make sure the focus was on the game, not me scoring goals for some kind of record.”

Elizabeth Van Wormer rips a shot against a Wawasee team that she torched for nine goals in two matches this season.