Spokane Sounders Earn Top HS Honors

Friday, December 7, 2021

It was another amazing high school season for Spokane Sounders players this past fall, culminating in a state championship, several state awards, league championships, five league MVP awards and 27 All-League selections.

Highlighting the area high school season was the Washington State Championship run of the Deer Park Lady Stags. Led by the club trio of Livvy Moore, Ella Carnahan and Grace Martinson, the program dominated the Northeast A League, the district tournament and the state tournament. Deer Park swept the league 12-0-0 on the year, allowing just three goals while outscoring the opposition by an eye-opening 104. They added two more wins (and 11 goals) to the ledger in the district tournament before a state tournament run that saw the Lady Stags outscore their opponents 28-2.

Livvy Moore was the NEA Offensive MVP and has earned the state’s biggest honor as the 1A Player of the Year award winner by the Washington State Soccer Coaches Association, which also named her to the All-State First Team. The NEA Offensive MVP’s contribution was immeasurable in the campaign, and her statistics were incomparable. She led the NEA in goals (31), assists (23) and points (85), the last of which was a margin of 20 over the next closest. She also tallied four goals and three assists in two non-league wins (EV & Mead). It didn’t lessen in the postseason either, tallying three goals and two assists in their district wins and another eight goals and five assists in the state tourney.

Ella Carnahan, an NEA ALL-League selection, was part of a Sounders trio that led the team to the title, and Grace Martinson scored several goals in the postseason run after battling injury during the season. The trio combined for 16 of their 28 goals. The pair also connected for the championship-winning tally in the 1-0 final with Carnahan finishing off a ball from Martinson. Statistically, Carnahan was top 10 in the NEA in all categories with 16 goals (fourth) and six assists (10th) for 38 points (fifth) and went on to tally seven goals and six assists in the state tourney. Martinson, with minimal playing time due to injury, was also on the leaderboards with five goals and eight assists (sixth) for 18 points (13th) along with four goals and three assists at state.

In the Greater Spokane League, three Sounders players garnered Most Valuable Player honors for the fall campaign. Abbie Sicilia was named the 2A Defensive MVP while Zoe Crockett was named the Offensive MVP in the 3A/4A classification along with Defensive MVP Bre Koscielski.

Abbie Sicilia, a junior at West Valley, was the second player from the region that was honored by the WSSCA, earning All-State Second Team recognition. Aside from their lone loss to second place Clarkston, Sicilia’s West Valley dominated the season thanks in part to the Eagles’ defense registering seven shutouts and allowing just six goals in 10 games as they won league and won district en route to the second round of state. They also registered non-league wins against 3A GSL sides Cheney, University and Ferris.

Senior Zoe Crockett was named the GSL 3A/4A Offensive MVP honor for the second consecutive season after sharing the award last spring in a much closer statistical race in which she was also co-goal scoring leader. This season she claimed the scoring (27 points) and goal scoring (12) crowns with plenty of room to spare with a margin of four over the next closest goal scorer.

Sophomore Bre Koscielski was honored as the GSL 3A/4A Defensive MVP after helping lead Mt Spokane to co-champions in GSL (7-2), first in the 3A class. They also rolled to the district title in impressive fashion, winning the three games 15-2 on aggregate. With Koscielski on the back line the Wildcats allowed the second fewest goals on the season (5) and posted the second most shutouts (5).

Before we move onto the All-League honors, let’s take a quick trip to the other side of the border where junior Rebekah Hines was named the 3A Intermountain League Most Valuable Player over in north Idaho. The midfielder helped lead CDA Charter to a dominant 10-0 league campaign and a run to third place in Idaho with an 18-2 overall record.

Major Awards List
WSSCA 1A Player of the Year – Livvy Moore
WSSCA 1A First Team – Livvy Moore
WSSCA 2A Second Team – Abbie Sicilia
NEA Offensive Player of the Year – Livvy Moore
GSL 2A Defensive MVP – Abbie Sicilia
GSL 3A/4A Offensive MVP – Zoe Crockett
GSL 3A/4A Defensive MVP – Bre Koscielski
IML 3A MVP – Rebekah Hines

Champions
WIAA 1A Champions – Deer Park
NEA & District Champions – Deer Park
GSL co-Champions – Gonzaga Prep & Mt Spokane
3A District Champions – Mt Spokane
B District Champions – St George’s

As usual, many Sounders players were among the All-League lists for the GSL and NEA.

NEA – All League
F – Ella Carnahan (Deer Park, Sr)
F – Aubrey Gregory (Freeman, Fr)

GSL 2A – Honorable Mentions
F – Lexie Thompson (East Valley, Sr)
M – Vanna Chun (Pullman, Jr)

GSL 2A – Second Team
M – Keely Franklin (Pullman, So)
M – Ashlyn Chase (WV, Fr)
M – Jaedyn Green (WV, So)
M – Aubrey Thomas (Shadle Park, Sr)

GSL 2A – First Team
F – Rebecca Skinner (Clarkston, Fr)
F – Janis Oliver (EV, Sr)

GSL 3A/4A – Honorable Mentions
M – Grace Hammermeister (Cheney, Sr)
D – McKinley Ullman (University, Jr)
D – Rachael Lee (LC, Sr)
G – Peyton Dixon (GP, Jr)

GSL 3A/4A – Second Team
F – Emily Todd (NC, Jr)
F – Cadence Peroff (Ferris, Jr)
M – Tess Keyes (GP, So)
D – Abby Morrow (MS, Sr)
G – Abbie Scott (Ferris, Sr)

GSL 3A/4A – First Team
F – Erin Ewers (GP, Sr)
M – Sammie Symmes (GP, Sr)
M – Gracie Reidt (CV, Sr)
D – Carly Imes (CV, Sr)
M – Kylie Stiles (MS, Sr)
F – Cami Hattenburg (MS, Jr)
D – Erika Frahm (Mead, Sr)
G – Mercedes Cullen (Mead, Sr)

The Deer Park trio were not the only standouts in the NEA with Freeman’s Aubrey Gregory also earning recognition. Gregory, an NEA All-League selection, was the leading scorer for a Freeman side that finished third in league play, second in districts and won their crossover to reach state. The freshman finished the league campaign third in both goals (26) and points (56).

In the GSL 2A All-League list, the league champion Eagles featured a pair Sounders that joined Sicilia in earning awards. Midfielders Ashlyn Chase (freshman) and Jaedyn Green (sophomore) both earned Second Team recognition. Chase and Green helped lead West Valley to league and district championships en route to advancing to the second round of the state tournament. Chase finished the league season with eight goals and two assists, ranking fifth in points and fourth in goals. Green tallied three goals and three assists in her role.

Second place Clarkston was led by freshman First Team choice Rebecca Skinner, who lit it up in her freshman campaign as the Lady Bantams battled West Valley all season for the top spot. She tallied 11 goals (ranking second) and 12 assists (co-leader) for 34 points (second) in league play.

Joining Skinner on the First Team was Janis Oliver (senior), who was one of two East Valley players recognized along wih Lexie Thompson (senior – Honorable Mention).

Oliver was was recognized for her efforts, providing four goals in league games before suffering a season-ending injury. Thompson helped lead EV to fourth despite battling the challenges of playing with MS during her final campaign, scoring three goals along the way.

Pullman finished third in the league with a pair of Sounders earning recognition. Sophomore Second Team choice Keely Franklin helped lead the midfield junior Honorable Mention Vanna Chun helped lead the midfield for Pullman. Franklin had three assists on the year and Chun a pair as defense proved key versus the bottom half of the table with only five goals allowed in those six matches.

Highlighting the list from Shadle Park was senior Second Teamer Aubrey Thomas, who was a standout on the side through a tough campaign.

As co-champions of the league based on points, it is no surprise plenty of Gonzaga Prep and Mt Spokane players were recognized, many of them Sounders.

Gonzaga Prep finished as the top 4A side with a record of 8-1 and four club players earning honors. Junior goalkeeper Peyton Dixon (Honorable Mention), sophomore midfielder Tess Keyes (Second Team) and seniors Erin Ewers (First Team, forward) and Sammie Symmes (First Team, midfield) took home awards. Dixon was half of the goalkeeping duo for 8-1 league co-champ Gonzaga Prep, finishing third in the league in GAA at 0.63 with just three goals allowed in nine halves of play. Keyes was a fantastic defensive midfield presence for Gonzaga Prep as the Bullpups finished co-champions of the league with an 8-1 record and just six goals allowed. Ewers and Symmes led the Bullpups to the title and second in districts despite both spending time out of the lineup. Symmes tallied four goals and three assists to finish tied for seventh in points in league. Ewers ranked second in goals and points with eight goals and three assists.

At Mt Spokane, the Wildcats were 7-2 in league and claimed the 3A district title thanks in part to a trio of Sounders that were honored in addition to Defensive MVP Koscielski. Senior defender Abby Morrow (Second Team), junior forward Cami Hattenburg (First Team) and senior midfielder Kylie Stiles (First Team) were recognized by the league. Morrow paired with Koscielski to lead the defiant Mt Spokane back line that allowed just five goals in league en route to winning the district title with seven league and district playoff shutouts. Stiles and Hattenburg were big contributors at the other end. Stiles was top five in each category with six goals (fourth) and six assists (league leader) for 18 points (third). Hattenburg was second in assists to Stiles with five with her three goals putting her seventh in points.

The GSL 3A/4A league was ultra-competitive this season with Mead and Cheney right in the mix going into the final week, finishing 6-3. Mead’s defense was key with First Team selections Mercedes Cullen (senior goalkeeper) and Erika Frahm (senior defender) leading the effort while Cheney featured Sounder Grace Hammermeister (senior midfielder).

Mead featured a defense that was nearly impenetrable, allowing only four goals in league. Frahm guided a back line that registered a league best six shutouts (five consecutively) in nine games and added three more in districts before elimination in their fourth game. And whenever teams got past the back line, Cullen was there to mop it up. She played in seven league games (missed the final few to concussion), registering three shutouts among her four complete games and allowing just two goals for a league-leading 0.31 GAA. She then added the two district shutouts.

Hammermeister registered three goals as Cheney finished fourth in league and advanced to state with third place district finish.

Junior defender McKinley Ullman (Honorable Mention) was a defensive standout for 2-7 University and also registered three goals, but the Titans made headlines in districts with a pair of stunning upsets via penalty shootouts in scoreless matches against MCC top seed Southridge and GSL second seed Mead en route to a surprise state berth.

Senior defender Rachael Lee (Honorable Mention) helped lead 4-5 Lewis & Clark through a tough year with excellent play in the back line as the offense struggled.

Junior forward Cadence Peroff was a leader for Ferris in the attack this season and senior goalkeeper Abbie Scott finished among the league leaders with a 0.89 GAA. Both were named to the Second Team.

Junior midfielder Emily Todd (Second Team) was the standout for North Central this season, scoring four of their five league goals and nine of 14 overall.

In one of the most competitive GSL seasons in years, Central Valley found themselves fifth at 5-4 and second for the 4As. In addition to Crockett’s MVP honor, the play of two others also stood out enough for First Team honors despite the team’s finish. Senior defender Carly Imes was the standout on defense, but she also contributed two goals and two assists to the league’s second best goals tally. Senior midfielder Gracie Reidt patrolled the midfield and would finish second in assists on the season with five.

Statistical Leaders
GSL 3A/4A Points Leader – Zoe Crockett – 27
GSL 3A/4A Goals Leader – Zoe Crockett – 12
GSL 3A/4A Assists Leader – Kylie Stiles – 6
GSL 3A/4A GAA Leader – Mercedes Cullen – 0.31
GSL 2A Assist co-Leader – Rebecca Skinner – 12
NEA 1A Points Leader – Livvy Moore – 85
NEA 1A Goals Leader – Livvy Moore – 31
NEA 1A Assist Leader – Livvy Moore – 23

* Note: All statistical data according to Inland NW Soccer News 

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