A look at some of the top South Bend area prep girls soccer players
The Northern Indiana Conference, year in and year out, is loaded with immense talent on the girls soccer pitch.
That's a trend that is sure to continue for the 2023 season.
The trio of NIC perennial powers Saint Joseph, Penn and Marian once again boast plenty of star power this fall. All three teams were ranked in the preseason polls.
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There are a couple of uncertainties this fall as far as personnel. Senior Mia Veldman, an All-State star for Marian in 2022, has transferred to Saint Joe. The IHSAA held a hearing on her eligibility on August 2 for this season but had not announced a ruling as of Wednesday morning.
Junior Daisy Moody of Marian injured her knee in April and is expected to be out the entire high school season. The standout forward had 25 goals and 10 assists for her 19-2-1 team that lost in the Class 2A semistate in 2022.
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Following are a dozen players, including Veldman and Moody, on this year's list of some of the area's top talent.
Mia Veldman (Saint Joseph senior)
Veldman had three goals and 16 assists a season ago earning All-State and All-NIC honors.
Meg Baxter (Saint Joseph senior)
Baxter totaled 11 goals and four assists in 2022 and was a second-team All-NIC choice.
Daisy Moody (Marian junior)
Moody had 25 goals and 10 assists as an All-NIC selection a year ago.
Quinn Pankiewicz (Marian junior)
Pankiewicz had 19 goals and 17 assists a season ago. She was All-District and All-NIC second team.
JoJo Murphy (Marian junior)
Murphy played a key defensive role and was a second-team All-NIC choice in 2022.
Abby Weaver (Marian senior)
Weaver was strong in goal for the Knights in 2022. She posted 11 shutouts with 13 goals allowed and 76 saves.
Anika Guenther (Penn junior)
The forward led her team with seven assists in 2022. She was All-Regional and second team All-NIC.
Malaika Waithaka (Penn senior)
The forward had a pair of goals and two assists for the Kingsmen a year ago.
Meghan Zhang (Penn junior)
The talented midfielder missed the entire 2022 campaign due to a knee injury.
Lois Carr (Adams senior)
Carr earned All-NIC second team honors in 2022. She had six assists and one goal for the Eagles.
Yajaira Jimenez (Bremen senior)
Jimenez was All-NIC in the North-South division as a goalie for the Lions.
Hannah Thomas (Glenn senior)
Thomas was an All-NIC choice in the North-South division after helping Glenn win the title at 5-0.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Girls soccer: Players to watch for this season in the South Bend area
