Local Tier 1 girls all-star team revealed
Tier 1 girls soccer rivals lead the way with four and three players on 1st team
A tight battle for Tier I supremacy in WECSSAA senior girls’ Tier I soccer was reflected in the all-star selections.
The St. Anne Saints, who went unbeaten in regular-season play, led the way with four first-team selections in Emma Collins, Abigail Daniel, Nicole Hogeterp and Katerina Iakovidis.
The Villanova Wildcats, who rebounded to beat St. Anne in the final for a second-straight AAA title, placed three players on the first team in Sofia Bellaire, Jalyn Cirino and Kristen Swiatoschik. The Massey Mustangs had two players named to the team in Keele Briand and Elizabeth Elliott while the remainder of the team featured the AA champion Sandwich Sabres’ Alessandra Pontoni, the L’Essor Aigles’ Megan Bornais and the Holy Names Knights’ Katia Palmer. Second-team all-star selections feature Holy Names’ Natalie Turner, Alana Lacivita and Jordan Samping, St. Anne’s Haley Smith and Tiana Conflitti, Villanova’s Mikayla Paesano, Belle River Nobles’ Andrea Rivait, Brennan Cardinals’ Jaden Greig, Massey’s Emma Raoux, Sandwich’s Katie Fettes and the St. Joseph Lasers’ Katie McAnally. Following is a brief look at the first-team selections:
Sofia Bellaire
School: Villanova Wildcats Position: Midfielder
Grade: 11
Most memorable moment: Coming back to tie the SWOSSAA final with minutes left in the second half. Future plans: Returning to Villanova for Grade 12
Megan Bornais
School: L’Essor Aigles
Position: Defender
Grade: 11
Most memorable moment: Hosting OFSAA and scoring off a corner kick to give our team a 2-1 win. Future plans: Returning to L’Essor for Grade 12
Keele Briand School: Massey Mustangs Position: Defender
Grade: 12
Most memorable moment: Finishing third in WECSAA regularseason play.
Future plans: Heading to University of Windsor to major in social work and disability studies and play soccer.
Jalyn Cirino
School: Villanova Wildcats Position: Defender
Grade: 12
Most memorable moment: Winning the WECSSAA championship. Future plans: Heading to Bethel College in Indiana on a full-ride soccer and academic scholarship.
Emma Collins
School: St. Anne Saints
Position: Forward/midfielder Grade: 12
Most memorable moment: Hosting OFSAA in my Grade 12 year. Future plans: Headed to Eastern Michigan University to study exercise science on a full-ride soccer and academic scholarship.
Abigail Daniel School: St. Anne Saints Position: Goalkeeper Grade: 12
Most memorable moment: Shutting out longtime friend and club teammate Kristen Swiatoschik during a regular-season game against Villanova.
Future plans: University of Windsor to study English and French.
Elizabeth Elliott
School: Massey Mustangs Position: Midfielder
Grade: 11
Most memorable moment: Helping Massey from last place in Tier I last season to third place this season. Future plans: Hoping to help Massey improve its record again in my Grade 12 season.
Nicole Hogeterp
School: St. Anne Saints
Position: Midfielder/defender Grade: 11
Most memorable moment: Playing in OFSAA and scoring a long-range goal against Villanova in the WECSSAA final.
Future plans: Returning to St. Anne for Grade 12.
Katerina Iakovidis School: St. Anne Saints Position: Midfielder Grade: 12 Most memorable moment: Playing at OFSAA in my final year of high school.
Future plans: Studying biochemistry at the University of Windsor and playing soccer.
Katia Palmer
School: Holy Names Knights Position: Midfielder
Grade: 12
Most memorable moment: Beating Villanova to win the indoor tournament.
Future plans: Heading to St. Clair College and to play soccer.
Alessandra Pontoni School: Sandwich Sabres Position: Defender
Grade: 11
Most memorable moment: Winning the SWOSSAA soccer championship and qualifying for OFSAA.
Future plans: Returning to Sandwich for Grade 12.
Kristen Swiatoschik School: Villanova Wildcats Position: Forward
Grade: 12
Most memorable moment: Defeating St. Anne in the WECSSAA final for the second year in a row. Future plans: Studying human kinetics at the University of Windsor and playing varsity hockey.