Meet the Leaf-Chronicle's All-Area high school girls soccer team for 2023
No girls soccer player in Montgomery County had more points this season than Kristen DeSantis, and no team had more success than Rossview.
Though their season ended one game short of the state tournament, the Hawks went 15-2 and won the District 13-AAA and Region 7-AAA championships while outscoring opponents 98-32. DeSantis, a speedy senior forward, led the way with 38 goals and 15 assists, including 12 multi-goal games and six hat tricks.
As a result, DeSantis was the easy choice to be named Leaf-Chronicle's All-Area player of the year for 2023.
But it wasn't always as easy to see DeSantis becoming a goal-scoring machine.
When DeSantis started playing soccer, she did so as a defender. Her coaches gradually moved her up the field, to midfield in middle school and eventually to forward, and she struggled in both positions at first.
DeSantis trained with Caitie Wollett, a retired semi-professional player based in Clarksville, and started to learn the nuances of the position: not just scoring goals, but making runs and holding up the ball to bring teammates into the play. Year after year, her statistics shot up. She scored five goals as a freshman, 16 as a sophomore to go with four assists, and totaled 30 goals and 19 assists as a junior.
"I like the freedom up at the top, being able to creative and run around," DeSantis said.
DeSantis, who also competes in track and field as a pole vaulter and sprinter, gave thought to playing college soccer at one point. But she decided a while back to focus on academics, and is looking at attending Tennessee on a pre-med track. She knew going into her senior season that it would be her last.
"I just wanted to help my team win as much as we could and get as far as we could," DeSantis said. "For the most part, I just wanted to have fun with my friends one last time."
The Leaf-Chronicle's 2023 all-area girls soccer team is as follows:
First Team
Kristen DeSantis
Rossview, Sr.
Position: Forward
Why chosen: DeSantis scored 38 goals and had 15 assists, leading Rossview in both categories. She was named All-State by the Tennessee High School Soccer Coaches Association and is on the Leaf-Chronicle's all-area first team for a third season in a row.
Madison Bennett
West Creek, Sr.
Position: Forward
Why chosen: Bennett led the area with 41 goals, scoring in every game, and added seven assists. The District 14-AAA offensive player of the year had eight hat tricks and was selected to the THSSCA All-State team. This is the third straight season Bennett, the 2022 all-area player of the year, has been named to the first team.
Eva Greenwald
Rossview, Jr.
Position: Forward
Why chosen: Greenwald was a perfect complement to DeSantis up top, finishing with 18 goals and 14 assists. This is her second straight season making the all-area first team.
Raegan Griffith
Clarksville, Jr.
Position: Forward
Why chosen: Griffith led the Wildcats' offense in the wake of junior Bekah Allen tearing her ACL early in the season. An all-area second team honoree in 2022, Griffith scored 20 goals, assisted on seven and was named to the THSSCA all-state team.
Lexie Calzaretta
Clarksville Academy, So.
Position: Midfielder
Why chosen: Calzaretta had a team-high 13 goals and nine assists as the Cougars finished with a winning record.
Bella Campbell
Clarksville, Jr.
Position: Midfielder
Why chosen: Campbell had 10 goals and seven assists as the Wildcats finished runners-up in District 13-AAA and Region 7-AAA and reached a Class AAA sectional. She also made the THSSCA all-state team.
Kierah Sessoms
Northwest, Sr.
Position: Midfielder
Why chosen: Sessoms had 15 goals and five assists in her third straight season making the all-area first team.
Cassie Villa
Rossview, Jr.
Position: Midfielder
Why chosen: Villa was named to the THSSCA all-state team after scoring 19 goals and providing six assists this season.
Courtney Collins
Rossview, Sr.
Position: Defender
Why chosen: Collins was a rock along the backline for the Hawks, who gave up less than two goals per game. She also provided two assists.
Kinleigh Lewis
West Creek, Jr.
Position: Defender
Why chosen: Lewis had two goals and six assists and was the District 14-AAA Defensive MVP as the Coyotes went 11-5-2, gave up 1.6 goals per game and won the district championship.
Emma Williams
Rossview, Sr.
Position: Goalkeeper
Why chosen: The District 13-AAA goalkeeper of the year made 129 saves on 155 shots she faced.
Second Team
FW: Lily Heath, Montgomery Central, Sr.
FW: Janelle Roland, Northeast, So.
FW: Maddie Wajda, Northwest, Fr.
FW: Brittany Williams, West Creek, So.
MF: Samantha Kueker, Rossview, Sr.
MF: Leilyn Mercado, West Creek, Jr.
MF: Tatiana Prieto, Northwest, So.
MF: Hadley Rudolph, Rossview, Jr.
DF: Mackenzie Haupt, Northeast, Sr.
DF: Parker Kent, Clarksville, Fr.
GK: Kinsley Bragg, West Creek, So.
Coach of the Year
Connie Castleman, Rossview
Why chosen: Castleman coached Rossview to its second straight district and region championships. The Hawks outscored Clarksville, winners of eight region titles between 2013 and 2021, by a combined 11-2 in the district and region title games. This is the second straight season she's been named coach of the year.
This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: TSSAA soccer: Clarksville All-Area girls team for 2023 season
