Girls Soccer: Who are the Southwest Florida players to watch during the 2023-24 season?
Some of the biggest moments every year in Southwest Florida come on the soccer pitch.
The soccer season has commenced statewide, and there's plenty of talent once again in the Southwest Florida area.
That was displayed last season, when Mariner went toe to toe with American Heritage, not conceding a goal in regulation and extra time. Bishop Verot is poised to take a leap this season, while North Fort Myers is a constant every season. Many of the pieces that helped those teams to successful seasons are back.
There's also teams that are on the rise this year, looking to take the next step with high expectations.
Here are our picks for 30 girls soccer players to watch between Lee and Collier counties.
Edin Abougzir
School: Barron Collier
Year: Senior
Highlights: Abougzir's junior year saw modest production, finishing with just two goals and two assists, but the midfielder was primed to take a step forward in her senior season. So far, she's done that, scoring a pair of goals while adding five assists through just four games played this year. Abougzir was a Naples Daily News All-Area Second Team selection last season.
Ryleigh Acosta
School: Mariner
Year: Senior
Highlights: The two-time Southwest Florida Girls Soccer Player of the Year needs no further introduction nor justification for being on this list. The Florida signee helped will the Tritons back to the Class 5A title game, netting 25 goals and 25 assists to help the program finish 18-5-1. Thus far through four matches, Acosta is up to a goal and eight assists, primarily working out of the attacking midfield.
Ava Babcock-Watford
School: Barron Collier
Year: Junior
Highlights: Babcock-Watford made the switch from Gulf Coast to Barron in the offseason in hopes of giving the Cougars a spark up top. As a sophomore with the Sharks, Babcock-Watford finished with six goals across 14 games.
Alexa Bereczki
School: Evangelical Christian
Year: Senior
Highlights: Bereczki is well on her way to a 20-goal season as the Sentinels' alpha on the pitch, as the senior is up to 13 goals and 7 assists this season as the Sentinels remain unbeaten. Bereczki is just four goals away from matching her season total from a year ago, looking to take ECS back to a regional final in Class 2A.
Addison Bilzor
School: Barron Collier
Year: Senior
Highlights: Bilzor's back line play was a big reason why the Cougars notched nine shutouts a season ago. As a junior, she added a goal and helped Barron to a district title. Bilzor has an assist through five matches this season.
Ariana Cintron
School: Mariner
Year: Junior
Highlights: Coming from First Baptist, Cintron did not play high school soccer her sophomore year, but the FGCU commit gives the Tritons a promising asset on the attack. As a freshman, Cintron led FBA with 27 goals. So far this season, Cintron has three goals and five assists.
Caly Crisman
School: Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Highlights: The Barry-bound goalkeeper is one of seven seniors on this Green Wave squad that's looking to make a splash this season. Crisman's experience in net should help the Greenies, and thus far, they're undefeated at 3-0-0 with just two goals allowed along with a pair of shutouts.
Sofia Cuellar-Gutierrez
School: Naples
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: The lone freshman to make first team a season ago in Naples, Cuellar-Gutierrez helped fill the void on the back line for Adam Weikel's group. Her speed gave opponents trouble, as Cuellar-Gutierrez had a hand in 10 shutouts. She also added one assist and helped the Golden Eagles finish 10-3-3, and has already been a part of three shutouts on the back line this season.
Giana D'Altrui
School: Fort Myers
Year: Junior
Highlights: D'Altrui saw a surprising step back in her sophomore year after a 22 goal, 16 assist freshman season, finishing with just six goals and two assists a season ago. The good news is that the old D'Altrui is back, netting four goals in two contests thus far to help Fort Myers to an undefeated start.
Samantha Degen
School: Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Highlights: Degen's midfield play has been relatively consistent over the years, as The News-Press All-Area Second Team selection has an assist through a pair of games so far for the Green Wave. Degen's poised for a big year in the midfield, with Fort Myers returning vasts amounts of experience across the board.
Kenlee Dominguez
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Freshman
Highlights: Remember the name. Dominguez is one of two freshmen to make this list and is up to five goals and a pair of assists so far this season. Dominguez brings a dynamic element to Nick Erickson's attack, in hopes of making a deep run in the postseason with a deeper and better group.
Cameron Fallacara
School: Cape Coral
Year: Junior
Highlights: Fallacara is one of the area's most consistent scorers, netting 33 last season and 14 the year prior, while adding eight assists in both her sophomore and junior seasons. Expect more of the same in her senior season, as Fallacara is up to four goals and five assists through four games with the Seahawks.
Jillian Haataja
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Junior
Highlights: Haataja has started to find her stride again in her third season with the Vikings, coming off a sophomore year that saw her score just four times with two assists. As a freshman, Haataja netted 17 goals and 12 assists, as she looks to return to form.
Sophia Kerns
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Highlights: An injury plagued a decent chunk of Kerns' season last year, as she finished with just 11 goals and 3 assists after combining for 39 goals and 25 assists in her first two seasons on the pitch. Kerns is back and arguably better than ever, as her six goals and five assists through three games lead the Red Knights.
Paige Knoth
School: Barron Collier
Year: Junior
Highlights: Committed to Dartmouth for girls soccer, Knoth was a Naples Daily News All-Area First Team selection a season ago after posting six shutouts and allowing just 11 goals in 13 matches. Knoth ended the season with 76 saves and also kicked the game-winning penalty kick against Naples to give Barron the Class 5A-District 12 title last year.
Trishelle Lopez
School: Mariner
Year: Junior
Highlights: Lopez did not play high school soccer her sophomore year, as her time on the ECNL circuit with Orlando City took priority. A member of the U17 Puerto Rican National Team, Lopez has surrendered just two goals over four matches so far this season with the Tritons.
Ava Majury
School: Naples
Year: Senior
Highlights: Someone needed to step up in the wake of losing multiple key pieces offensively, and that's been Majury so far for the Golden Eagles. After four goals and three assists a season ago, Majury is up to four goals and seven assists through three games, making her a likely candidate to lead Collier County in points.
Kaitlyn Mancini
School: Estero
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: Looking to build off a freshman season in which Mancini had 18 goals and 22 assists, Mancini will look to thrive without older sister Ansley on the pitch following her graduation last year. Through three games, the sophomore has a goal and an assist for the Wildcats.
Micayla Mansberger
School: Naples
Year: Senior
Highlights: Mansberger did not play for the Golden Eagles last year, which was a tough replacement, but the senior is back in net for her final season. Mansberger led Golden Eagles to 14 shutouts in 2022 and their first state championship appearance in school history. Mansberger had a goals against average of 0.57, the lowest in the county two seasons ago.
Evie McCarthy
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Highlights: Now a three-time News-Press All-Area First Team selection after a junior year in which she had 11 goals and 16 assists, the Arizona-bound midfielder is arguably the most dynamic player in Southwest Florida. McCarthy had a key hand in helping North to a 14-3-3 record last year, and is up to four goals and three assists this season.
Lexi Neumann
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Junior
Highlights: Neumann has generally helped create chances from her midfield spot, and early signs indicate that isn't changing anytime soon. The junior is up to one goal and three assists through two games this year with the Red Knights, following a nine goal, 12 assist sophomore season.
Cami Nunn
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Highlights: Opposing coaches always have to account for Nunn on the back line, as her physicality and speed often give opponents problems. Anchoring North's defense, Nunn helped hold opponents to just one goal per game. Nunn had a hand in 10 shutouts last year for the Red Knights and has already been a part of three this year.
Carly Paz
School: Mariner
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: Primarily operating as a center defensive midfielder last season, Paz grew immensely in her first varsity season, netting six goals with five assists. Her sophomore year has been much of the same and then some, scoring three goals already while adding an assist. With a younger defensive group this season, Paz's strong defense becomes even more important.
Caroline Pelkofski
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Junior
Highlights: The big surprise of the offseason was Pelkofski to Bishop Verot, choosing to leave a Mariner team that had just gone to back-to-back state title games in 5A. The South Florida commit had 11 goals and 6 assists last season for the Tritons and is up to three goals and five assists in her junior year with the Vikings.
Katherine Pelkofski
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Freshman
Highlights: Double trouble, you might ask? The younger Pelkofski has just as high, if not a higher ceiling than her older sister, and it's shown in her first year on the varsity scene. Pelkofski is leading Bishop Verot with six goals and a pair of assists through five games, helping the Vikings to a perfect 5-0-0 start with just one goal surrendered all season.
Stephanie Saracione
School: Mariner
Year: Senior
Highlights: When Saracione gets the ball, you can often expect good results. That's been the case over her last three years of varsity soccer, netting 72 goals over her first three seasons with Ida Baker and Mariner. So far this year, it's been nothing different, as Saracione leads Mariner with six goals at forward in 2023-24. Saracione was a News-Press All-Area First Team selection a season ago.
Angelina Toro
School: Cape Coral
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: Toro went under the radar last season as a freshman, netting 13 goals while adding eight assists for the Seahawks. Through four games this year, she's on pace to double her goal-scoring output while matching her assist totals, as the sophomore has seven goals and two assists.
Bailey Trosterud
School: Riverdale
Year: Senior
Highlights: Trosterud has been Riverdale's most consistent asset over the last few seasons, scoring 42 goals while adding 28 assists since her sophomore year. Her senior year looks to be no different, as Trosterud is up to six goals and an assist in two games for the Raiders this season.
Josephine Vickaryous
School: Barron Collier
Year: Senior
Highlights: Not many defenders lead their teams in scoring, but Vickaryous led the Cougars, netting six goals with two assists to help Barron to a regional semifinal. As a junior, she also led a back four that surrendered less than a goal per game a season ago, making her a Southwest Florida Girls Soccer Player of the Year finalist.
Molly Vickaryous
School: Naples
Year: Senior
Highlights: Vickaryous lived up to the billing of being Naples' top defender last season, as her physical play was more than disruptive for opposing teams. She helped the Golden Eagles allow just 0.63 goals per game while adding four assists. In her senior season, Vickaryous has found the back of the net once for Naples in their hopes of reclaiming district and regional titles.
Follow Southwest Florida Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Who are 30 girls soccer players to watch in Southwest Florida this season?
