Lady Cats Soccer Team Concludes Season With Annual Banquet (11/04/19)

on 4 November, 2019 at 00:35

(Photos submitted)

(By Coach Chris Schonbachler)

The Clarion Area Lady Cat Soccer Team capped off the 2019 season with their Annual banquet.

Seniors and Team MVPs Megan Stahlman, Lauren Troutman

First and foremost, I’d like to congratulate our two outgoing seniors, Lauren Troutman and Megan Stahlman. Both Lauran and Megan were team captains this season, and along with captain Jenna Miller, did an outstanding job in leading the team both on and off the field. On behalf of the team, I’d like to wish both Lauren and Megan the best of luck going forward.

Rookie of the Year Anna Gribik, Breanna Hannold (not in photo)

The first award presented was for Rookie of the Year. This season that award was shared by two players, Anna Gribik and Breanna Hannold. Anna led the team with 9 goals in her freshman season. She also showed great toughness by playing most of the season with recurring hamstring issues. Breanna was a last minute addition to the starting lineup at the beginning of the season. By the second game she had earned her spot in the lineup, with solid defensive play and a resilient attitude. I’m looking forward to see how both girls develop their game as sophomores next season.

This year’s Offensive Player of the Year is Emily Grabiak. In her junior year Emily displayed all of the attributes we look for in offensive players. Her first touch on the ball, ability to create space, and vision to pass the ball into effective areas for our forwards was essential in creating goal scoring opportunities.

Jenna Miller – Defensive Player of the Year and Emily Grabiak – Offensive Players of the Year

Jenna Miller is this year’s Defensive Player of the Year. Jenna has been the team’s strongest defensive player, having been Co-Defensive MVP last season as well as Rookie of the Year as a freshman. She does a tremendous job in keeping the defensive line organized and leading with her high level of play.

The 2019 Team MVP award is shared by our graduating seniors, Laruen Troutman and Megan Stahlman. Lauren’s tenacious efforts in the center midfield position make her the biggest headache for opposing teams. She has displayed outstanding leadership both on and off the field, along with an ability to play through numerous injuries. Megan played most of this season as a defensive midfielder, although she is willing to also play in any other position asked of her. She demonstrated great communication with her teammates and was an effective link in the team’s transition from defense to offense.

Although the final results of the 2019 season were not as we envisioned, the team showed great character in fighting through the adversity. The Lady Cats fought through a slew of injuries that kept several players off the field and meant that many players never left the field. The team kept working, as newer players stepped up and experienced players raised their game. Their hard work paid off as the team finished the season on a five game win streak.

As always, I’d like to thank the players for their dedication to the team, their friends and families for their support. Thanks also to the Clarion Soccer Boosters and the Clarion Area and Clarion-Limestone school districts for their efforts. I’d also like to thank Clarion Area Athletic trainer, Steve Seifert. Unfortunately, we kept Steve very busy this season. He did an incredible job of managing numerous injuries. I hope we can lighten his workload next season!

Thanks again to all involved with our soccer program and good luck to our seniors as we look forward to next season.

(Thanks to Coach Schonbachler for the article. Congratulations, Lady Cats!!!!)