Iowa high school soccer: 15 midseason girls Player of the Year candidates
With less than a month remaining in the Iowa high school girls soccer regular season, several players have started to separate themselves from the crowd.
From a stacked group of talented teams in the Des Moines metro area to standouts across the state, there is no shortage of players to consider as the best in Iowa.
This is a preliminary list, and there are sure to be other players who come into the conversation as the season wraps up. The Register put together this group after staff discussions and with recommendations from coaches across Iowa.
Here are 15 potential candidates for the All-Iowa Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
Names are listed in alphabetical order by last name. Statistics and records are based on what was input to GoBound by Wednesday, May 1 at 9:30 a.m.
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Ella Anliker, Sr., Valley
It is no surprise that perennial powerhouse Valley is one of the top teams in Iowa’s largest class with an 11-1 record. Anliker leads a talent-packed roster with 12 goals – and one assist – in her senior season.
Maddison Balashaitis, Jr., Ankeny Centennial
The Jaguars captain has helped Centennial to an 8-3 record against some pretty tough competition. Her defense has allowed just eight total goals this season, with two of the team's losses coming by just one goal.
Carson Bohonek, Jr., Bettendorf
Few teams have gotten between Bohonek and the goal, with 22 goals and six assists this season. That’s 17 more goals than the next-highest scorer on the squad.
Katelyn Eggena, Sr., Waverly-Shell Rock
In 530 minutes of playing time, the Go-Hawks' senior keeper has allowed just one goal. That’s a 95.5 save percentage that has helped Waverly-Shell Rock to an 8-0 record, including seven shutouts.
Addison Hoben, Jr., Spencer
Between goals and assists, Hoben has the most points in the state…by a lot. Her 46 goals and 11 assists total 103 points, which is 20 more than the next-highest player.
Josie Jones, Jr., Waukee Northwest
Jones has two assists on her stat sheet, but defense is where she truly shines. She helped the Wolves to a 10-2 record and has limited opponents to only six goals to Northwest’s 26.
Kylie Knief, Sr., Dallas Center-Grimes
Knief is the leading scorer on one of the top teams in Class 2A, according to the IGHSAU’s rankings. She has scored six goals and added one assist, helping the Mustangs to a 6-3 start to the season.
Alli Macke, Jr., Ankeny
On a roster that spreads out the scoring, Macke leads the way. She has scored 10 goals – and picked up three assists – while pushing Ankeny to an 8-3 record.
Lauren Nidey, Jr., Waukee
Waukee opponents must hate seeing Nidey in net. She allowed only four goals so far and made 50 saves – for a 92.6 save percentage in 735 minutes of playing time.
Maddy Nigey, Sr., Assumption
Another standout goaltender is Nigey, who has allowed just three goals through 11 games. She’s made 40 stops – getting in the way of 93% of the shots she faced – in 754 minutes of action.
Elle O’Brien, Sr., Gilbert
The Tigers have lost only one game this season and the senior forward is a large part of that success. O’Brien has scored eight goals – on 17 shots on goal, for a 47.1% success rate – and added three assists.
Addy Oetker, So., Des Moines Christian
Several players can make an impact on the Lions’ roster, but the sophomore star leads the way. She has scored 18 goals and picked up 12 assists for 48 total points so far.
Morgan Russmann, Sr., Pleasant Valley
The Pleasant Valley senior has scored 33 goals so far, the third-most in the state. With 70 shots on goal, she scored on nearly half of her attempts. She's picked up nine assists on top of her scoring prowess.
Victoria Spahn, Sr., Waukee Northwest
Six goals allowed, 62 saves, and a 91.2 save percentage in 800 minutes between the sticks. There is a reason Waukee Northwest is one of the best teams in Class 3A – and also the state – and Spahn certainly helps.
Abby Warner, Sr., Pella
There are lots of solid players to choose from on Pella’s roster, but let’s go with Warner. The senior leads the team with 16 goals and has recorded three assists, as well.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa high school soccer: Midseason girls Player of the Year candidates
