December 2, 2009

Hurricane’s Smith heads AAA all-state soccer team

By Grant Traylor

HURRICANE — If a soccer fan needed to see where Hurricane is on the West Virginia girls soccer radar, all they needed to do is look to the Skye.

As in Redskins’ midfielder Skye Smith.

Smith was named captain of the West Virginia girls soccer Class AAA First-Team after leading the Redskins to the state championship, where they fell to University 1-0.

Instead of focusing on her own accomplishment, Smith took more pleasure in the fact that she was joined on the first-team by teammates Becca Logan and Abby Barber.

“We had a great team and I wouldn’t have wanted to go that far with anyone else,” Smith said. “I’ve never seen a defender play like Abby and Becca can just score at any time.”

Smith garnered a lot of attention in the midfield, often drawing two and three defenders at a time.

She finished with 17 goals and 16 assists many of which went to Logan, who tallied 29 goals and 16 assists on the year.

While Smith and Logan connected for goals, Barber kept the opposition out of the net by commanding the defensive third.

During one stretch of the season, Hurricane gave up just one goal in 13 games while starting the year unbeaten in its first 16 games.

“I’ve never seen a defender play like Abby and Becca can just score at any time,” Smith said. “We’ve been playing travel soccer together since we were 10-years-old. When you have that much time playing together and you travel together, you know how each other plays.”

The chemistry led Hurricane to the Class AAA championship before they fell 1-0 to champion University, who was one of five teams to have two first-team selections.

The Hawks were represented on the first team by forward Whitney Cavender and midfielder Kaylynn Petrisin, who scored the lone goal in the Class AAA championship.

State semifinalist Jefferson featured a pair of first-team returnees from 2008 in forward Sarah Cogswell and goalkeeper Melissa Taylor.

Parkersburg South also had two returnees in midfielder Taylor Bush and goalkeeper Sammy Hicks as their pair of first-team representatives.

Four of the six midfielders on the 2009 team were returnees from the 2008 first-team. In addition to Bush, Woodrow Wilson’s Kayla Rodriguez, South Charleston’s Erin Clark and Bridgeport’s Caitlin Wilson also made a return to the elite of Class AAA.

Rodriguez was joined on the first-team by teammate Minta Bibb at defender.

Robert C. Byrd was the other team to feature two selections with forward Sarah Folio, who scored 35 goals and notched 15 assists on the season, and defender Jennifer Bassel.

Other first-team selections include forwards Sami Molina of Cabell Midland and Tori Boggs of Parkersburg, as well as George Washington defender Chelsi Waldeck.

While Waldeck was the only George Washington player on the first team, the Patriots featured three players on the second team including forward Lucky Lucente, midfielder Morgan Foster and goalkeeper Jarrett Walker.

Smith said that facing George Washington twice in the regular season really helped get the Redskins ready for the postseason.

“We play good teams all year (in the MSAC), but we played GW a couple times and those games were great for us,” Smith said. “Because of those games, we were ready once we got to the state tournament.”

In addition to Lucente, second-team forwards included 2008 returnees Kelsey Barnholt of Jefferson and Greenbrier East’s Courtney Harrah. Other forwards on the team included 30-goal scorers Alaina Heck of Martinsburg and Kelsey Haynes of Robert C. Byrd.

Joining Foster at the midfield were a trio of 2008 returnees Fairmont Senior’s Krissy Bodnovich, Woodrow Wilson’s Katelyn Dyke and John Marshall’s Julie Young. Cabell Midland’s Kelsey Matthews and Parkersburg’s Tori Wilson also were named as second-team midfielders.

The second-team defenders were University’s Hilary Johns, Winfield’s Jade Smith, Musselman’s Laura Bridges, Huntington High’s Taylor Cunningham, Parkersburg’s Vanessa Keiser and Greenbrier East’s Brandi Johnson, the lone defensive returnee from 2008.

University’s Hillary DeWitt joined Walker as the goalkeepers for the second team after leading the Hawks to the Class AAA championship. Dewitt allowed just six goals on the season.

The Class AAA high school all-state girls soccer teams, as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

FIRST TEAM

Forwards

Sarah Cogswell, Jefferson, Sr.

Sarah Folio, Robert C. Byrd, Sr.

Becca Logan, Hurricane, Sr.

Sami Molina, Cabell Midland, Jr.

Tori Boggs, Parkersburg, Jr.

Whitney Cavender, University, Sr.

Midfielders

Kaylynn Petresin, University, Soph.

Kayla Rodriguez, Woodrow Wilson, Jr.

Skye Smith, Hurricane, Sr., (Capt.)

Erin Clark, South Charleston, Sr.

Taylor Bush, Parkersburg South, Sr.

Caitlin Wilson, Bridgeport, Sr.

Defenders

Abby Barber, Hurricane, Sr.

Minta Bibb, Woodrow Wilson, Sr.

Chelsi Waldeck, George Washington, Sr.

Jennifer Bassel, Robert C. Byrd, Sr.

Goalkeepers

Melissa Taylor, Jefferson, Sr.

Sammy Hicks, Parkersburg South, Sr.

SECOND TEAM

Forwards

Lucky Lucente, George Washington, Soph.

Kelsey Haynes, Robert C. Byrd, Sr.

Kelsea Barnholt, Jefferson, Fr.

Courtney Harrah, Greenbrier East, Sr.

Alaina Heck, Martinsburg, Sr.

Midfielders

Krissy Bodnevich, Fairmont Senior

Tori Wilson, Parkersburg, Jr.

Kaitlyn Dyke, Woodrow Wilson, Jr.

Morgan Foster, George Washington, Sr.

Julie Young, John Marshall, Sr.

Kelsey Matthews, Cabell Midland, Sr.

Defenders

Hillary Johns University, Sr.

Jade Smith, Winfield, Sr. (Capt.)

Laura Bridges, Musselman, Sr.

Brandy Johnson, Greenbrier East, Sr.

Taylor Cunningham, Huntington, Sr.

Vanessa Keiser, Parkersburg, Sr.

Goalkeepers

Jarrett Walker, George Washington, Sr.

Hillary DeWitt, University, Soph.

SPECIAL MENTION

Brittany DeCapio, Brooke; Ashli Wilcox, Brooke; Kirston Chaney, Jefferson; Katie Heubisch, Washington; Jamie Hill, Martinsburg; Rachel Coles, Musselman; Rachel Sandstrom, Musselman; Alex Mascaro, Fairmont Senio; Nikki Nuzum, East Fairmont; Rayya Ramadan, Morgantown; Stephanie Lorenze, Morgantown; Jenna Klemkowsky, Morgantown; Ashley Collins, University; Sarah Hawley, Capital; Cris Eddy, George Washington; Haleigh Hoff, Winfield; Callie McClanahan, Hurricane; Olivia Vanhoose, George Washington; Chloe Barber, Hurricane; Abi Woods, Huntington; Kayla Yates, Greenbrier East; Moriah Njoku, Woodrow Wilson; Stacy Simon, Parkersburg South; Kelsi Halbert, Parkersburg South; Carly Caldon, Ripley; Rebekah Haynes, Robert C. Byrd; MacKenzie Mullenax, North Marion; Emily Bundy, Robert C. Byrd; Nicole Marton, Bridgeport; Taylor Lewis, Bridgeport; Marissa Wright, Buckhannon-Upshur; Katie Burgess, Huntington; Jessica Biehl, Cabell Midland; Tara Elswick, Cabell Midland; Chelsea Seay, Spring Valley.

HONORABLE MENTION

Maria Tennant, John Marshall; Justyn Obeldobel, Brooke; Hanna Gossett, John Marshall; Maci Hascak, Brooke; Kiersten Stuckey, Jefferson; Kendall Bush, Martinsburg; Lauren Trumble, Martinsburg; Alex Mascaro, Fairmont Senior; Nikki Nuzum, East Fairmont; Ashley Ramsey, University; Kate Seamon, University; Bailey Rhodes, George Washington; Karley Walker, South Charleston; Faith Farley, Winfield; Erica Long, Capital; Mary Beth Bulruss, St. Albans; Annie Preston, South Charleston; Emily Cooperrider, Nitro; Kaitlyn Gilliam, Nitro; Emily Ross, Nitro; Amelia Brugnoli, Nicholas County; Kelly Johnson, Nicholas County; Katy Carte, Woodrow Wilson; Annie Yambrick, Woodrow Wilson; Tara Elswick, Cabell Midland; Morgan Smith, Cabell Midland; Jessica Beihl, Cabell Midland; Emma Romanowski, Parkersburg; Hannah Moore, South; Whitney Pinkston, Parkersburg; Susie Godwin, Buckhannon-Upshur; Chelsie Dunn, Robert C. Byrd; Courtney Schevuront, Robert C. Byrd; Jessica Kerns, Bridgeport; Jessica Boot, Bridgeport; Brittany Montgomery, Lewis County; Megan Floyd, Huntington; Morgan Smith, Cabell Midland; Jenna Dorsey, Spring Valley.