Maddie Harris and Moira Curtis were named co-Most Valuable Players for the girls soccer team at its awards banquet Wednesday, Nov. 13.
Harris, a sophomore forward, and Curtis, a senior who spent most of the season in goal, led the Huskies to a 2-9-3 season record, with league wins over Newport and Cascade.
“We don’t have clubs and we have to travel most of the time,” Coach Ramiro Santana said. “We don’t have the knowledge at all levels that other sports have.”
Some of his team, he said, “probably had not touched a ball until the season came around,” and league opponents such as Woodburn and Stayton “play all year around.”
However, Santana said, this year’s team finished ahead of last year’s, whose only win was in their last home game.
“This year we got a couple of wins and a few ties,” he said. “We competed against those teams.”
He noted the contributions of junior varsity Coach Pete Saveskie and volunteer assistant Nick Rodgers to this year’s improvements.
Santana noted that all but one of the awards are voted on by the team and that there were several ties this year, which he couldn’t disagree with, he said.
Defender of the Year went to senior Torree Hawken, who was moved to the back line early in the season because the Huskies needed more speed there.
“You’ve got the best, fastest forward you have, a heck of a runner and a girl who can score because girls with speed can move,” he said. “Or you can defend.”
He noted that Hawken and Curtis communicated well on defense and helped their teammates be where they were needed.
“It was like having two coaches back there,” he said.
Curtis, also a senior, who was named to the All-League Second Team as a goalkeeper, should have been a first-teamer, he said, based on the number of actual saves she recorded during the season.
“I’m going to miss this kid,” he said. “I’m going to miss having a goalie like her. In all the years I’ve coached, I don’t think I’ve ever had a goalie who goes year-round. She’s the best goalie I’ve ever had. She’s like a second coach.”
Best Midfielder went to the trio of junior Maren Weld and Esther Ramsey, and Harris.
“Most of the time we put those three girls in the middle of the field and we couldn’t decide who was best,” Santana said.
Best Forward went to junior forward Natalie Rodgers, who did an “amazing job” playing up for Sweet Home.
I don’t even want to think about her senior year,” said Santana, adding that Rodgers got attention from other coaches in the league for her ability to score.
“It’s cool to have coaches ask you how good she is with her foot.”
Rookie of the Year was a three-way tie between Baham and Wolfe and sophomore Karolina Hernandez.
Baham, in particular, “did an incredible job and played a lot,” he said. “It was a big responsibility.”
Both Wolfe and Hernandez swung off the JV to help out when needed, he said.
The Hustle Award, which pretty much is what it sounds like, went to junior Maren Weld.
“This kid is amazing,” Santana said. “She gives a lot of energy to the team for as little as she is.”
The Coach’s Award, which is the only one Santana decides on, also went to Weld and to junior Katie Robeck.
Weld, he said, “was the first to get there, the last to leave” and was constantly asking how she could help.
Robeck had the best participation of any girl on the team, he said.
“She was there every single day. She never missed practice. I think she’s just about the only girl I’ve ever had who’s never missed. She’s on time. She’s always there. She’s amazing.”
Santana also highlighted the efforts of juniors Emily Farthing and Crystal Wolfe, and sophomore Megan Baham for their assistance with the team’s main fundraiser, collecting cans and bottles at the Oregon Jamboree.
“This is the only thing we have to help the soccer team, money-wise,” he said, adding that the money raised is used to buy soccer balls, socks for his players and “if a girl needs it, help with shoes.”
The three girls showed up every day during last summer’s Jamboree, he said – “8 a.m. to 12, 1 a.m. Every day. This has never happened.”
Hawken was the lone fourth-year letter winner this year.
Third-year letters went to seniors Ashtyn Walker and Curtis, and juniors Esther Ramsey, Emily Farthing, Rodgers and Robeck.
Second-year letter winners were senior Hannah Powell, juniors Olivia Martineau, Weld, and Sicily Neuschwander, and sophomores Isabel Sayer and Harris.
First-year letters went to Wolfe, Hernandez, Baham and sophomore Jenna Wolthuis.
Junior varsity certificates were presented by Saveskie, who “brought humor and helped our girls do better,” Santana said.
Recipients were senior Karla Perez, who joined the team mid-season, juniors Alaina Curtiss and McKenzie Putney, sophomores Andra Gordon and Olivia Olson, and freshmen Ruth Barten, Jaiden Dennull, Rylie Hooley and Iris Erickson.
Saveskie also handed out some awards, voted on by players, for his team.
Putney, whom he described as a “scoring machine,” was named MVP.
Outstanding Defender was Dennull; Outstanding Scorer was Putney; Outstanding Midfielder, Best Hustle and the Coach’s Award went to Curtiss; and Most Improved went to Barten and Hooley.