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Wildermann was Ready and Willing to Guide the Tigers

No matter the scenario, Lee Wildermann made a positive impact on the Hand boys’ soccer team in a variety of ways throughout his high-school career. During each of the last three seasons, Lee helped the Tigers walk off the field with a state championship plaque in their grasp.

Lee recently completed his senior year as a captain with the Hand boys’ soccer squad. After primarily playing forward during his first three seasons, Lee moved to the left wing position for first-year Head Coach Greg Cumpstone’s club this fall. Lee finished the year with 10 goals and seven assists on his way to earning All-SCC Second Team honors. Most important, he guided Hand to its third consecutive Class L state crown.

“It’s been amazing to be on three state title teams. Each team has been a different team, which makes it even more special with that dynamic,” Lee says. “Just winning one state title is amazing, so to win three in a row is spectacular.”

Lee has a knack for coming through in the clutch. When Hand trailed Wethersfield by a goal in this year’s Class L semifinals, Lee earned a free-kick opportunity and made the most of it by netting a goal to tie the game with less than 90 seconds left in regulation. Hand went on to prevail 3-2 in double overtime to advance to the final, where the Tigers took the title by posting a 1-0 win over Maloney.

“That was an incredible goal. The team was starting to get down, so it was a big moment,” says Lee of his game-tying score. “I just zoned in, stepped up, and didn’t think too much about the kick. I felt it would go in, but the team as a whole came together that night.”

When it came to his new position, Lee loved the versatile nature of playing left wing for the Tigers. It took a little while to adjust, but ultimately, Lee found some favorable footing on the field.

“I’m not too much of a defender, but my job this year was to mark a team’s left back. I liked the position, because you were able to drift around the field and help out where help was needed,” he says. “I also love playing the left wing and picking up the balls as a righty with my right foot. Coach Cumpstone did a fantastic job this year, and everyone played a role and did a terrific job.”

As a captain, Lee didn’t need to raise his voice in order to motivate his fellow Tigers. Instead, Lee wanted his teammates to speak up by communicating with their captain.

“Being a captain was really great. I was waiting for the moment to lead this team in a significant way as a captain,” says Lee. “All of the guys were cooperative and listened and communicated well with me. I allowed the players to talk to me as a more open captain.”

Coach Cumpstone credits Lee for showing courage by scoring that critical goal against Wethersfield. Cumpstone also notes that Lee is a must-see player who served as a true conduit between Hand’s athletes and its coaching staff.

“When Lee gets the ball in the final third, you sit up on the edge of your seat. He can make the difference in big games with his quality and poise. Lee also grew to be an inspirational leader for our team. He would take the team aside before matches and have a quiet word with them to echo the message of the coaches,” says Cumpstone. “Lee’s goal against Wethersfield was a true, ‘Cometh the moment, cometh the man’ instance. It’s hard to imagine how much pressure he must have felt in that moment. His career, the team’s season, everyone’s hard work for the past four months hinged on that shot going in. It was an honor and privilege to have worked with him.”

Lee believes that an early call-up to the varsity squad as a freshman helped expedite his maturation process as a high-school soccer player. As time went by, Lee learned that the relationships players develop away from the field often play a huge hand in helping teams achieve success on the pitch.

“Playing varsity as a freshman made me grow up fast, and being around those older guys helped me mature,” Lee says. “As I grew up, I began to see what it meant to be a leader on a team. It came down to being more open and kind to your teammates because, when the team morale is up, then the team itself does well.”