2011 ALL-AREA GIRLS SOCCER: Highly-touted players showcased on postseason squad

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

It has been said time and time again that in the sport of prep soccer, sometimes it’s harder to make the All-Area First Team or even the All-County team in Oakland County that it is to reach the all-state lists in one of the four divisions.

That didn’t change this season.

Just from the www.northoaklandsports.com coverage area alone, which encompasses only about one-third of Oakland County, there were 27 players that made the all-state lists this season in one of the state’s four divisions — that’s more than one player per school on an average.

All of those players made the all-area list in some form, either first-team, second-team or honorable mention, but when you throw in the all of the talented players that made all-league or all-district, then the number of players with postseason accolades quickly grows like wildfire.

On this year’s All-Area First Team alone, all 16 players were all-state, with nine of those standouts being first-team all-state, two of them second-team all-state, two more third-team all-state and three others earning honorable mention all-state.

This is truly a remarkable squad.

The all-area team was selected by NOS staff in conjunction with area coaches. Below is a brief profile of each player named to the first team.

Forwards

IRENE YOUNG, Troy: One of the state’s most dominant players this season, this junior terrorized opposing defenses with 30 goals, 13 assists, two hat tricks and 73 points. Named to the 11-member All-State Dream team and to the Division 1 All-State First Team, the University of Louisville commit was fast to the ball, big and physical and could unleash a powerful shot with either foot. The three-year starter will be one of the front runners for Miss Soccer in 2012.

“Irene had a breakthrough season and became one of the state’s most dominant players,” said coach Brian Zawislak. “I think she benefits from the ability to not only finish but the ability to create. She demands so much attention from other teams that she can lay off the ball with a perfect pass just as well as she can shoot it. She’s a big, fast and strong player and is hard to knock off the ball. We’re excited to have her one more year.”

LEAH SCHMITZ, Troy Athens: One of four Red Hawks to make the All-Area First Team, Schmitz was a constant threat on the offensive end for Athens this season. The sniper finished the year with six goals and eight assists for 20 points and earned All-State Honorable Mention status in Division 1. She has signed with Eastern Michigan University.

AVA DOETSCH, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes-Clarkston Everest Collegiate Unified: In her second year as a starter, Doetsch stepped up to lead the Lakers in scoring and earned All-State First Team accolades in Division 4. Deploying excellent speed and the ability to finish from both close- and long-range, Doetsch helped her team to a top-10 ranking this season and a berth in the regional finals after her team won the state crown in 2010. She already has over 40 career goals with two seasons more to play.

“Ava’s a tremendous scorer for us. She just knows how to finish,” said coach Rich Ludwig. “She has great speed, can shoot with either foot and was always dangerous around the goal.”

Midfielders

KYLE NYLEN, Rochester Adams: Versatile to play up in the offense as an attacking midfielder or back on defense as a defensive center midfielder or stopper, Nylen earned a repeat spot on the first-team all-area squad as a junior. She finished with three goals and three assists, but her physical style of play and the ability to kickstart the offensive buildup is a trademark. She finished the year with All-State First Team status in Division 1.

“I thought this was her best season yet,” said assistant coach Josh Hickey. “She really helped control the flow of the game for us this season. I think it was evident with the type of season we had and the run we made to the regionals. She was an impact player in the middle of the field.”

MERLIN BECKWITH, Rochester Adams: This third-year starter stepped up her game this season enough to earn All-State Second Team honors in Division 1. Equipped with great field vision and the ability to finish, Beckwith collected 14 goals and four assists for 32 points for the 15-3-3 Highlanders.

“I think with Merlin and Kylie Nylen in the midfield this season, we could dominate at times,” said Hickey.”If teams sagged back because of the other players, it was a mistake because it opened up the field for us and Merlin was dangerous from 30 to 40 yards out. She had some rockets from out there that she finished.”

EMILY DZIK, Troy: The player that helped control the midfield for the Colts was this senior, who earned All-State First Team honors in Division 1 after scoring seven times with two assists. A holding midfielder, Dzik was also fine defensively, as she was key in Troy giving up only 10 goals in 24 games. The four-year varsity player signed with Eastern Michigan.

“She’s a great leader on and off the field. Emily is the engine that makes us go and players follow her lead,” said Zawislak. “She dictates how we play. She never stops working. She’s strong offensively and defensively and how she plays rubs off on the other girls. She’s the type of senior that you want being one of your leaders.”

OLIVIA BRANNON, Troy Athens: After playing in only seven games as a junior due to a broken foot, Brannon came back healthy as a senior and led Athens to a fine 19-3-0 record, the OAA Red Division title and district championship by holding the fort as a center midfielder and scoring 16 goals with eight assists for 40 points. The four-year varsity starter was also named the 2011 Miss Soccer by the MHSSCA, given annually to the state’s top player, to go along with being honored on the Division 1 All-State First Team. Brannon, a starter on the ODP U-18 National Team, was also awarded the 2011 Gatorade Michigan Player of the Year and has signed with the University of Virginia.

MEGHAN TOPOLEWSKI, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes-Clarkston Everest Collegiate: With the girls soccer program just finishing up its fourth season, Topolewski set the bar high as a four-time all-stater who holds or is ranked in the top five for numerous single-game, season and career school records for WOLL. The two-time All-State First Team selection in Division 4 was brilliant in her career, where she rang up 89 goals and 95 assists. The Toledo-bound product led her team to three district titles, a regional and state championship last season and the CHSL Class C-D league title this season.

“Meghan’s a tremendous leader and what an ambassador for our program, which is only four years old,” said Ludwig. “She put the team in front and led us to four successful years. I think she’s going to be successful in college, not just because she’s such a good player, but is also a great leader.”

Defenders/Sweepers

MARISA KOZIKOWSKI, Troy Athens: A steady and reliable source for four years in the Athens backfield, Kozikowski earned second-team all-state accolades in 2011 after garnering third-team all-state honors last season. This season she helped anchor a backfield that posted a 0.75 goals-against-average with 11 shuouts in 22 games. The Eastern Michigan signee also chipped in with three goals offensively. She was also a four-year varsity player in basketball.

BRITTANY BUCKLER, Rochester Adams: Kind of the unsung hero in the backfield for the Highlanders, Buckler was a rock-solid sweeper and a key reason why they pitched 10 shutouts and won a district championship this season. Buckler chipped in with a goal and three assists this season and garnered All-State Third Team honors in Division 1, but her trademark was flawless defense with composure and patience in the backfield for one of the state’s top programs. The three-year starter was one of six Adams players to earn all-state this season. She signed with Indiana State.

“She’s so strong in the back. She’s the anchor,” said Hickey. “Brittany held her own and really held the entire back line together. She’s a great leader back there and someone I thought had her best season this year.”

JESSICA NIEMAN, Rochester: The Falcons featured eight sophomores on their roster and not a ton of high-level experience. Nieman, a senior, emerged as a leader of this young flock and helped Rochester rack up 10 shutouts and a 12-6-2 record. The four-year starter, named All-State Honorable Mention in Division 1, signed with Division I South Dakota.

“She’s a solid defender but I thought that she also did a nice job being a leader this season because we were so young,” said coach Todd Heugh. “She held things together back there and one was a good communicator with our goalkeeper and the rest of the team.”

ERIN FARLEY, Troy: Troy’s run to the Division 1 state runner-up spot was more than just a brilliant offensive machine scoring goals in bunches, but a stingy defense that helped break several school records this season, including 17 total shutouts. The central defender earned All-State Honorable Mention status this season after showcasing some offense as well, pushing up for six goals and seven assists for 19 points.

“Erin is so composed out on the field. She’s the type of player that doesn’t make many mistakes,” said Zawislak. “The other defenders looked to her for leadership and I though she did a great job with a sophomore goalkeeper in net. She’s also a threat on offense as well and not just a defender. On restarts we pushed her up and she was involved in more than a dozen goals this season.”

At-Large

JENNA O’DELL, Troy Athens: The latest in a long line of standout goalkeepers at Athens, O’Dell finished up her four-year as a starter by earning All-State Second Team honors, the third time in her career she was named to the all-state teams. Headed for Iowa State of the Big XII Conference, O’Dell played a majority of the 22 games for the Red Hawks and finished with a 0.75 goals-against-average.

REGINA NOFS, Auburn Hills Avondale: In its rebuilding year, Avondale built around its defense and Nofs was the anchor of the backfield for the Yellowjackets that allowed less than a goal a game and 12 shutouts in 21 matches. Nofs will attend the University of Michigan, but has elected not to play soccer after entertaining offers from colleges of various sizes.

“Regina had a great career. She fought through some injuries in her career and went out there and always played hard,” said coach Dave Muczynski. “She fought through it and made us a very solid defensive team. Having Regina and Andrea (Strauss) back there in goal made us very tough to score upon.”

Goalkeepers

ALISON HOLLAND, Troy: After sitting in the shadows of former first-team all-stater Victoria Trocolli last season, Holland was nothing sh0.62 goals-against-average and a save percentage ort of spectacular in earning All-State First Team marks in her first season as a starter this season. In 24 games, Holland gave up only 10 goals, posted a 0.42 goals-against-average, had 19 wins which many were against state-ranked teams, and posted a save percentage well over .900. A member of the ODP regional pool and the Michigan Hawks club team, Holland already gave a verbal to the University of Memphis with two seasons still to go.

“Alison had a great year for us and I think she’s going to get better. She’s a big time goalkeeper with a lot of offers already as a sophomore,” said Zawislak. “She came in and replaced an all-state goalkeeper, having some big shoes to fill. But she understood that her role was much different this season as the starter and she stepped up. She had 19 wins this season and we played a lot of great teams.”

ANDREA STRAUSS, Auburn Hills Avondale: This senior brought some unusual athleticism between the pipes this season, as the three-sport athlete also excelled in basketball and volleyball. In soccer the three-year starter was named to the All-State First Team each of the past two years, including this season where she gave up 15 goals in 22 games with 12 shutouts. She finished the season with a 0.62 goals-against-average and a save percentage over .900. A smooth-shooting guard in basketball, Strauss earned all-state honors in that sport this past winter, leading her team to the Class A regional finals. The setter also helped Avondale win its first-ever district championship in volleyball last November.

“She’s probably the most gifted goalkeeper we’ve had at Avondale. She made first-team all-state two years in a row and was a big reason why we were successful the past few years,” said Muczynski. “She made some absolute great saves the past couple of years and kept us in a lot of games. I don’t think anyone scored more than two goals on us this season.

CO-COACH OF THE YEAR

BRIAN ZAWISLAK, Troy: In his fourth season as head coach, Zawislak, a former all-state player from Livonia Churchill, led the Colts to one of their best seasons in school history, which ended with the Division 1 state runner up trophy, and to their fifth appearance in the state finals.

The Colts spent the whole season ranked in the top six in state, entering the season ranked fifth and being ranked as high as No.2 during the regular season. Ranked fourth entering the postseason, Troy went on a run that included district and regional championships, a victory over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in the state semifinals and a 1-0 loss to Novi in the finals.

Troy, which finished third in the OAA Red Division behind fellow state powers Troy Athens and Rochester Adams, allowed a school record-low 10 goals all season, and just two in the postseason. Troy finished 20-3-2, with the 20 wins the second most in school history.

“I thought that we could be a very good team, but we had to have some kids step up and be leaders and some players fill some voids and I thought as a whole we were able to do that,” said Zawislak. “When we beat Athens in our opener, I think the girls realized right there and then that we could compete again with some of the best teams in the state. We lost a couple of key girls from the previous year, but these girls worked so well together, everyone understood their roles and it all came together.

“We only had one bad week, with the (1-0) loss to North Farmington and the (1-1) tie with Rochester, which cost us the league,” added Zawislak. “But we bounced back from that and were able to get on a roll in the postseason and reached the state title game.”

TIM STORCH, Troy Athens: After 30 years as the head coach of the Athens boys team and 29 seasons with the Red Hawks girls team, Storch called it a career this season. But not before he posted over 900 combined coaching wins at Athens between the boys and girls teams, one of the winningest programs in state history.

This season Athens was ranked in the top 10 the whole campaign and entered the postseason ranked third in Division 1.The Red Hawks finished the year 19-3-0 with at one time winning 15 straight games, and captured OAA Red Division and district titles before falling to Utica Eisenhower, 3-2, in a shootout in the D-1 regional semifinals.

Storch, who also coached a combined nine state titles and over 30 league, district and regional championships between boys and girls soccer, is the only head coach the school has ever known. He also retired from teaching effective June 30.

ALL-AREA GIRLS SOCCER TEAM 2011

FIRST TEAM

NAME                                    SCHOOL                   GRADE

Forwards

Irene Young                          Troy                             Junior

Leah Schmitz                         Troy Athens              Senior

Ava Doetsch                          WOLL-Everest          Sophomore

Midfielders

Kylie Nylen                            Rochester Adams    Junior

Merlin Beckwith                   Rochester Adams    Junior

Emily Dzik                               Troy                              Senior

Olivia Brannon                      Troy Athens              Senior

Meghan Topolewski            WOLL-Everest          Senior

Defenders/Sweepers

Marisa Kozikowski               Troy Athens             Senior

Brittany Buckler                   Rochester Adams   Senior

Jessica Nieman                     Rochester                  Senior

Erin Farley                              Troy                            Senior

At-Large

Jenna O’Dell                           Troy Athens             Senior

Regina Nofs                            A.H. Avondale         Senior

Goalkeepers

Alison Holland                       Troy                            Sophomore

Andrea Strauss                      A.H. Avondale        Senior

CO-COACH OF THE YEAR

Brian Zawislak                        Troy                            Fourth Season

Tim Storch                               Troy Athens             29^th Season

SECOND TEAM

Forwards: Mackenzie Barber, Rochester Adams jr.; Madison Duncan, Auburn Hills Avondale fr.; Amanda Roth, Oxford sr.

Midfielders: Hannah Lee, Rochester Adams jr.; Alilse DuBay, Rochester Hills Christian jr.; Darcy Johnston, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian jr.; Joanie Seija, Rochester Stoney Creek jr.

Defenders/Sweepers: Abbey Troy, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes-Clarkston Everest Collegiate Unified sr.; Lauren Bolhuis, Rochester Stoney Creek jr.; Haley Svrcina, Troy Athens sr.; Alyssa Wesley, Lake Orion sr.; Jackie Gipe, Clarkston sr.

At-Large: Chantel Ludwig, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes-Clarkston Everest Collegiate Unified sr.; Sarah Stroope, Oxford sr.

Goalkeepers: Jessica Wineke, Rochester Adams sr.; Laura Ivezaj, Rochester sr.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Auburn Hills Avondale: Alyssa Johns, sr. D; Rachel Sonego, sr. D; Jessica Creech, soph. M; Auburn Hills Oakland Christian: Tori Johns, sr. D; Taylor McKenna, sr. D; Clarkston: Lindsey Adams, jr. M/F; Lisa Lyons, jr. F; Clarkston Springfield Christian: Michelle Whitmore, fr. F; Lake Orion: Jessica Pfister, jr. D; Katy Wagner, jr. M; Hannah Kish, soph. D; Katie Rohlfs, jr. D/M; Shannon Inglis, sr. F; Lake Orion Baptist: Jill Streetman, jr. G; Abbey Brennan, fr. M/F; Oxford: Beth Downs, sr. D; Paige Brinker, sr. D; Brianna Johnson, jr. F; Taylor Healy, sr. F; Chelsea Johnson, jr. M; Rochester: McKenzie Chilcote, jr. D; Sara Sikorski, sr. D; Sofia Farah, soph. F; Rochester Adams: Macy Houghtlin, jr. F; Tiffany Buckler, fr. D; Rochester Stoney Creek: Sydney Inscho, fr. D; Maddie Luccia, jr. M; Hannah Darin, soph. M/F; Rochester Hills Christian: Megan Steiner, sr. G; Jane Crile, sr. M; Caroline Milsk, sr. M; Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest: Emma Vieregge, soph. M; Stacy Jacques, sr. D; Megan Hamilton, jr. F; Abby Looker, jr. M; Troy: Jennifer Busk, jr. M; Madison Hirsch, soph. F; Troy Athens: Maggie Leone, jr. F; Liz Abro, soph. M; Gabby Mancini, jr. M; Troy Bethany Christian: Joy Lampert, jr. G; Anna Tomkowiak, jr. M; Sarah Tomkowiak, soph. D/M; Jessica Oja, jr. F; Sarah Davis, sr. D; Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes/Clarkston Everest Collegiate Unified: Jessica Parry, soph. F/M; Anna Robb, fr. D.

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