The Herald’s 2016 All-Area High School Girls Soccer Team

Published 10:15 pm Friday, December 9, 2016

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Talia Daigle, sr., Archbishop Murphy

COACHES OF THE YEAR

Kyle Suits, Marysville Getchell

Suits guided the Chargers to a 12-4-1 record and second-place finish in the Wesco 3A standings, just one year after the team went 4-10-2.

April VanAssche, Snohomish

VanAssche guided a young Panthers team to the Class 3A state tournament. Snohomish finished seventh in the Wesco 3A standings but advanced to the district title match with three consecutive victories, including a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Stanwood in the district semifinals.

FIRST TEAM

FORWARDS

McKenzie Buell, sr., Arlington

Buell recorded 18 goals and 12 assists, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the Eagles’ 46 goals. She helped Arlington earn the Wesco 3A title, a district championship and a Class 3A state quarterfinal appearance.

Talia Daigle, sr., Archbishop Murphy

The Herald’s All-Area Player of the Year recorded 26 goals and 16 assists while leading the Wildcats to five consecutive elimination-match victories and a third-place finish in the Class 2A state tournament. Daigle, the Cascade Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, netted a game-winning goal with two minutes left to lift Archbishop Murphy past Fife and into the state semifinals. She has committed to play for Western Washington University, which won the NCAA Division II national championship last week.

Rikki Myers, sr., Jackson

Myers, a second-team All-Area defender last year, moved to forward this season and recorded 15 goals and six assists. She helped the Timberwolves earn the Wesco 4A title, a district championship and a state quarterfinal appearance.

Kailin Wiley, jr., Kamiak

Despite missing several games due to injury, Wiley finished the season with 15 goals and eight assists. She helped the Knights tie for second place in the Wesco 4A standings and earn their first trip to the state tournament since 2009.

MIDFIELDERS

Lauren Brown, jr., Shorecrest

Brown, a Seattle University commit, recorded 26 goals and eight assists while leading the Scots to the Class 3A quarterfinals. She accounted for more than half of Shorecrest’s 52 goals.

Jadyn Edwards, jr., Jackson

Edwards recorded 12 goals and four assists. She helped the Timberwolves earn the Wesco 4A title, a district championship and a state quarterfinal appearance.

Anna Montemor, sr., Snohomish

Montemor recorded 13 goals and six assists, including four postseason goals during the Panthers’ run to the district title match and Class 3A state tournament.

Alexie Morris, sr., Kamiak

Morris recorded nine goals and five assists. She helped the Knights tie for second place in the Wesco 4A standings and earn their first trip to the state tournament since 2009.

Bailey Post, sr., Stanwood

Post recorded 14 goals and six assists while helping the Spartans advance to the Class 3A state tournament.

DEFENDERS

Nicole Jacobson, sr., King’s

Jacobson earned Cascade Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors for anchoring a King’s defense that allowed 13 goals all season and posted 14 shutouts, including seven in a row at one point. She also recorded three goals and three assists. The Knights won conference and bi-district titles and took third place in the Class 1A state tournament.

Kali Knepper, sr., Arlington

Knepper, a second-team All-Area selection last year, helped anchor an Arlington defense that posted 11 shutouts and allowed only 15 goals all season, including just five in league play. She helped the Eagles earn the Wesco 3A title, a district championship and a state quarterfinal appearance.

Nikki Leishman, sr., Lynnwood

Leishman recorded three goals and four assists as a defender while helping the Royals earn their first postseason berth in eight years and first postseason victory in 13 years. She has committed to play Division I soccer at the University of the Pacific.

Kia Mackey, sr., Edmonds-Woodway

Mackey anchored an Edmonds-Woodway defense that posted 12 shutouts and allowed only 12 goals all season, including just two in league play. She helped the Warriors to a third-place finish in the Wesco 3A standings.

GOALKEEPERS

Hannah Hicks, jr., Edmonds-Woodway

Hicks recorded 12 shutouts for an Edmonds-Woodway team that allowed only 12 goals all season, including just two in league play. She helped the Warriors to a third-place finish in the Wesco 3A standings.

Kayleigh Sedlacek, jr., Jackson

Sedlacek’s strong play in the net played an important role in Jackson allowing only 16 goals all season, including just seven in league play. She helped the Timberwolves earn the Wesco 4A title, a district championship and a state quarterfinal appearance.

SECOND TEAM

FORWARDS

Sarah Hommas, soph., Cedarcrest

Hommas recorded 10 goals and seven assists while helping the Red Wolves to a second-place finish in the Cascade Conference.

Espy Sanchez, jr., Stanwood

Sanchez recorded nine goals and seven assists while helping the Spartans advance to the Class 3A state tournament.

Ellie Shull, sr., Edmonds-Woodway

Shull recorded 15 goals and three assists while helping the Warriors to a third-place finish in the Wesco 3A standings.

Katie Stella, jr., King’s

Stella recorded 19 goals and 16 assists, accounting for more than half of the Knights’ 63 goals. She helped King’s earn the Cascade Conference title, a bi-district championship and a third-place finish in the Class 1A state tournament.

MIDFIELDERS

Caroline Adams, sr., Archbishop Murphy

Adams recorded 12 goals and six assists while helping the Wildcats to a third-place finish in the Class 2A state tournament.

Claire Diede, jr., King’s

Diede recorded 11 goals and eight assists. She helped King’s earn the Cascade Conference title, a bi-district championship and a third-place finish in the Class 1A state tournament.

Olivia Lee, jr., Marysville Pilchuck

Lee recorded seven goals and nine assists, accounting for more than half of the Tomahawks’ 26 goals.

Meghan Rodger, sr., Cedarcrest

Rodger recorded 10 goals and five assists while helping the Red Wolves to a second-place finish in the Cascade Conference.

Spencer Wirkkala, jr., Granite Falls

Wirkkala recorded 11 goals and seven assists. She has committed to play Division I soccer at Stony Brook University.

DEFENDERS

Molly Carden, jr., Edmonds-Woodway

Carden helped key an Edmonds-Woodway defense that posted 12 shutouts and allowed only 12 goals all season, including just two in league play. The Warriors finished third in the Wesco 3A standings.

Kiah Dayton, jr., Glacier Peak

Dayton’s strong defense helped the Grizzlies come within one win of advancing to the state tournament in their first season as a Class 4A school.

Sarah Nehring, jr., Kamiak

Nehring anchored a Kamiak defense that posted 14 shutouts and allowed only 14 goals all season, including just six in league play. She helped the Knights tie for second place in the Wesco 4A standings and earn their first trip to the state tournament since 2009.

Alyssa Weed, sr., Jackson

Weed helped anchor a Jackson defense that allowed only 16 goals all season, including just seven in league play. The Timberwolves won the Wesco 4A title and a district championship on their way to a state quarterfinal appearance.

GOALKEEPERS

Maddie Nielsen, sr., King’s

Nielsen recorded 14 shutouts, including seven in a row at one point, for a King’s team that allowed just 13 goals all season. Her strong play in the net helped the Knights earn the Cascade Conference title, a bi-district championship and a third-place finish in the Class 1A state tournament.

Brielle Schrader, jr., Arlington

Schrader recorded 11 shutouts for an Arlington team that allowed only 15 goals all season, including just five in league play. She helped the Eagles earn the Wesco 3A title, a district championship and a Class 3A state quarterfinal appearance.

The player of the year, coaches of the year and all-area teams were selected by The Herald’s sports staff.