Meet the All-Gainesville Area Girls Soccer Team and Player of the Year

Faith Hardy built an impressive resume on Gainesville’s south side.

Joining PK Yonge Girls Soccer team as an eighth grader, Hardy scored at least 34 goals each of her first three seasons. She was rewarded with All-State recognition and was the Sun’s 2021 and 2022 Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

Team wise, PKY embarked on playoff runs each season, but fell short in the Regional Finals two years in a row.

Led by coach Rebecca Schackow on the sidelines, and Hardy on the field, the Blue Wave sought to make this season different.

On Valentine’s Day, PK Yonge accomplished that mission with a 2-1 win over Episcopal School of Jacksonville in the 3A-Region 1 Final. Hardy scored the game winning goal with four minutes left.

“It’s unbelievable,” Hardy said after the win. “I’m so speechless. I couldn’t help but cry.”

The Blue Wave’s magical adventure unfortunately came to an end in a tough 3-0 loss to Montverde in the 3A State Semifinals, but the good times are rolling again on campus.

Hardy is the Gainesville Sun’s 2023-24 All-Area Girls Soccer Player of the Year. She scored 39 goals and tallied 85 points.

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This accolade comes in addition to Hardy finishing second for the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 3A Player of the Year.

PK Yonge lost just two seniors from this season’s squad, and Hardy returns for her senior campaign, so the sky is the limit for her and the team.

For now, she’s focused on her club teams and improving her game for college recruits.

Below is the full All-Gainesville Area Girls Soccer team. The first and second team, with 11 players each, comes from nine schools across Classes 2A-6A.

Congrats to all the players, coaches and families!

First Team

Forward: Faith Hardy, PK Yonge, Junior – 39 goals (12th in Florida, 4th in 3A), 85 points (15th in Florida, 3rd in 3A)

Forward: Zoe Torres, Buchholz, Senior – 27 goals (50^th in Florida, 5^th in 6A), 60 points (61^st in Florida, 6^th in 6A), 6 assists

Forward: Kiersten Shaw, Keystone Heights, Junior – 34 goals (22^nd in Florida, 7^th in 3A), 74 points (33^rd in Florida, 9^th in 3A), 6 assists

Midfielder: Abby Bowen, Buchholz, Junior – 12 assists (125th in Florida, 19th in 6A), 4 goals, 20 points

Midfielder: Mae Dodd, PK Yonge, Junior – 10 goals (76^th in 3A), 10 assists (40^th in 3A), 30 points (66^th in 3A)

Midfielder: Yarielis Mujica, Williston, Junior – 41 goals (6^th in Florida, 1^st in 3A), 84 points (17^th in Florida, 4^th in 4A)

Defender: Emma Mansfield, PK Yonge, Junior – 8 goals, 4 assists, 20 points

Defender: Olivia Witt, GHS, Senior – 5 goals, 2 assists, 12 points

Defender: Maggie Boone, Santa Fe, Senior – 11 goals (50th in 4A), 9 assists (32nd in 4A), 31 points (46th in 4A)

Defender: Lily Tomlinson, PK Yonge, Eighth Grader – 2 goals, 6 assists (99^th in 3A), 10 points

Goalkeeper: Norah Pancoast, PK Yonge, Sophomore – 0.670 goals against average (78^th in Florida, 9^th in 3A), 66 saves (39^th in Florida)

Second Team

Forward: Evy Malone, GHS, Senior – 19 goals (137^th in Florida, 21^st in 6A), 11 assists (159^th in Florida, 25^th in 6A), 49 points (120^th in Florida, 21^st in 6A)

Forward: Haidyn Smith, Santa Fe, Junior – 13 goals (41^st in 4A), 10 assists (180^th in Florida, 20^th in 4A), 36 points (34^th in 4A)

Forward: Emma Ferrell, GHS, Senior – 8 goals, 7 assists (64th in 6A), 23 points (87th in 6A)

Midfielder: Ella McAdams, Lafayette, Sophomore – 20 goals (114^th in Florida, 17^th in 2A), 43 points (163^rd in Florida, 27^th in 2A)

Midfielder: Savannah Creech, Branford, Junior – 20 goals (124^th in Florida, 29^th in 3A), 45 points (157^th in Florida, 32^nd in 3A)

Midfielder: Marleigh Schackow, PK Yonge, Senior – 9 goals (89th in 3A), 4 assists, 22 points

Defender: Claire Tanner, Buchholz, Junior – One goal, anchor of the Bobcats defense

Defender: Skylar Fellenz, Buchholz, Senior – Anchored Bobcats defense as well

Defender: Alli Maze, GHS, Senior – One goal, anchored the Hurricanes defense

Defender: Taylor Hass, PK Yonge, Sophomore – Led a defense that allowed just nine goals all season

Goalkeeper: Shallen Wright, Trenton, Eighth Grader – 190saves (14^th in Florida, 1^st in 2A), 4.952 goals against average (37^th in 2A)

Coach of the Year: Rebecca Schackow, PK Yonge

In her seven seasons at PK Yonge, Schackow turned the Blue Wave into a local powerhouse.

But a trip to the state semifinals always proved to stump her.

Not this season as she led the PK past Episcopal School of Jacksonville in the Class 3A-Region 1 Final and to the 3A State Semifinals, where the Blue Wave hung tough with powerhouse Montverde before ultimately falling 3-0.

Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun. Contact him at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: PK Yonge's Faith Hardy is the Sun's Girls Soccer Player of the Year