Highland Park’s Katherine Ohlwein has a reputation for making highlight-reel plays on the field.
The senior forward is considered one of the best players in program history. She ranks sixth with 78 points in just under three seasons.
On May 1, Ohlwein generated a different kind of highlight.
After scoring the winning goal in the Giants’ 3-2 victory against Plainfield South in the BodyArmor Series, she was caught on video celebrating in the parking lot. The five-second clip shows her standing in the middle of a group of teammates excitedly pouring some of the Coca-Cola from a 2-liter bottle over her face and then chugging the rest.
“It was definitely sent around a lot,” she said. “It was a special moment. I didn’t realize they were going to zoom in on me and focus on me. It was insane. Several college coaches sent it to me, saying it was amazing. It was blowing up.”
Ohlwein, who has a team-high 17 goals and three assists for the Giants (9-8-2, 3-1-1) this season, said she was overwhelmed with emotion after the game.
“We worked so hard to get to that point, so when it finally happened, it was insane,” she said. “Also, who doesn’t want a lot of Coca-Cola? I was so excited and happy. I’ve watched it over and over. It was hilarious. My parents even had a good laugh. They thought it was crazy.”
Ohlwein’s twin sister, Madeline, said that video was a typically unpredictable “Katherine moment.”
“It kind of looks like she was a crazy person, but it was good,” Madeline Ohlwein said.
Highland Park coach Kate Straka said the narrow victory against Plainfield South allowed Katherine Ohlwein to let out some steam. She scored five goals, including a hat trick against Grayslake Central, in three tournament games. The Giants also had lost two seniors due to serious knee injuries earlier that week.
“Katherine can share her intensity for soccer sometimes in a humorous way, which makes her teammates laugh,” Straka said.
The Ohlwein sisters have helped lift the program during a highly successful two-year run. With Katherine Ohlwein bearing the offensive load and Madeline Ohlwein in the back, the Giants placed second in the Central Suburban North this season. Highland Park went 13-4 overall and 10-0 while winning the conference last year.
Both have signed to play at Wisconsin-Platteville.
“We play really well together, and I like playing with her,” Madeline Ohlwein said. “She can get rough at times, push me over, but it’s fun to play with my sister. We’re both competitive, and soccer consumes our time.”
Katherine Ohlwein said there wasn’t much discussion about not playing together in college.
“We work really well together,” she said. “We have that twin bond and get along. I’m a more outgoing person. She sticks to herself and isn’t as talkative in certain situations. I’ll also be the one to stand up on the field if she gets pushed around. I’m very outgoing.”
Straka said the Ohlweins are crucial to Highland Park’s success.
“Madeline is a rock in our back line,” Straka said. “She plays hard every single minute. Katherine is going to leave behind a lot at Highland Park. She will be all over our records. She’s brought a different level of competitiveness to our program.”
The Giants, who have lost their first Class 3A playoff game in each of the past 11 seasons, will play Glenbrook South in a 3A Glenbrook North Regional semifinal on Tuesday.
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“We’re looking for another moment, something really special,” Katherine Ohlwein said. “We’ve had a good year.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.