Vail Valley soccer players reel in honors

Thirty-five wins, three of them in the playoffs — 4A or 3A — a league title (Battle Mountain), a run to the state quarterfinals (Vail Mountain) and the revival of a program (Vail Christian).

All and all, it was a great year on the pitch for girls soccer throughout Eagle County. And the postseason honors show it. Eighteen Huskies, Devils, Gore Rangers and Saints made some form of all-league in their respective league.

Heck, most of them were all on the same field all at once during the Lauren Mutter Memorial Game earlier this month.

But it’s nice to see certain players get their due.

Staying in the house

The 2018 4A Slope Player of the Year was Battle Mountain’s Audrey Teague. At least part of the award is staying in Edwards. Battle Mountain’s Claire Krueger and Glenwood Springs’ Sarah Helm are co-Players of the year.

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Teague certainly had a case to repeat — she scored 21 goals, more goals than last year, during the regular season, upon which these awards were voted. Yet Krueger is a satisfying choice.

The 2019 Huskies came together through their defense — Krueger, Maggie Skidmore, Addie Smith, Isabel McMurrain, Cayla Woodworth and Wilder Isom. Shutouts in 11 of 12 league games were the team’s pride and joy.

Ergo, Krueger: It’s also worth noting that the defender scored the only goal in a 1-0 win against Glenwood Springs, a contest crucial to the Huskies repeating.

The league’s Coach of the Year is shockingly David Cope. Not. Cope — since he’s won this award so many times we’ve lost count — wants to call this award Staff of the Year. So he shares it Becki Kenney.

Speaking of Kenneys, we really think Reef got snubbed.

Cult of the center back

VMS soccer found itself late this spring, and it was worth the wait. The No. 21-ranked Gore Rangers raced to the Elite Eight again.

While again, the awards are based on the regular season, Lamar Campbell had the hat trick of the season as the Gore Rangers rallied from down 3-0 to beat Stargate School during the second round of the playoffs.

And then there was Sammy Gish. If anyone’s ever come within smelling distance of Vail Mountain soccer, one knows the importance of the center back in the Gore Rangers’ system. (Sort of like Krueger at Battle Mountain; the two teams play the same way.)

Gish anchored the team on and off the field. The cult of the center back lives on.

A new record

Vail Christian fell short of the ultimate goal — making the 2A playoffs. But 6-5 after its previous varsity record of 2-11 would be a step in the right direction.

Zoey Barela brought the term “Bye, Felicia” to the Saints, scoring 13 goals, a new school record. And in a season of sisters, Gretchen and Robin Pavelich shone brightly on defense. (Cult of the center back, anyone?)