Kasen Williams leads parade of 2011 best efforts from individuals, teams
December 27, 2011
Peyton Pelluer (right), Skyline High School junior linebacker, and teammate Nic Sblendorio (9), junior defensive back, combine to throw Woodinville senior running back Devin McKee to the turf during the 4A state semifinal game Nov. 26. By Greg Farrar
It was a year of state titles for Skyline High School, and the end of a career for a Spartan who always seemed to be in championship form.
When he graduated last spring, Skyline’s Kasen Williams left a legacy that might never be duplicated in the Issaquah School District. He was definitely the most dominant figure in the local sports scene in 2011.
Issaquah’s Audrey Thomas earns top honors
December 13, 2011
Issaquah High School soccer standout Audrey Thomas hauled in some more honors last week. Thomas was selected the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Washington State High School Player of the Year.
In addition, she was selected to the association’s All-Far West Region Team and named an All-American.
Previously, Thomas was named the KingCo Conference 4A Most Valuable Player and was selected to all-league first team. She led KingCo in scoring this season with 31 points, which included a league-leading 10 goals.
“She had a pretty good year,” Issaquah coach Tom Bunnell said.
Issaquah’s Audrey Thomas named 4A KingCo most valuable player
November 29, 2011
Several athletes make all-league soccer team
Audrey Thomas (left), Issaquah junior midfielder, and Brooke Bofto, Skyline sophomore midfielder, battle during the Oct. 18 soccer match. By Greg Farrar
One of the smallest players in KingCo Conference 4A girls soccer had a mighty big impact this season.
Audrey Thomas, just 4-feet-11, was a dynamo on the pitch for Issaquah High School. The junior midfielder led the conference in scoring and sparked the Eagles to the 4A state tournament.
She was also selected the league’s most valuable player.
“She won it by a landslide,” Issaquah coach Tom Bunnell said. “She was just so dynamic.”
Although on the small side, Thomas commanded respect from every team she played against.
Thomas scored a league-leading 10 goals and had 11 assists to tally a league-leading 31 points.
“She is extremely quick and she can jump like nobody’s business,” Bunnell said. “She has the whole package. She has a great knowledge of the game and very good vision. Teams would come up with plans trying to stop her, and she always would find a way to avoid that plan. She is tough physically and can take a hit.”
Thomas was joined on the all-KingCo first team by teammate Lyrik Fryer, a freshman defender.
“Lyrik is fantastic,” Bunnell said. “She really took to the position. She had a great freshman season.”
Fryer’s speed made her a force on defense.
Emily Frankland, Junpei Tsuji earns soccer honors
November 22, 2011
Western Washington University senior forward Emily Frankland, a Skyline High School graduate, was selected to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s soccer all-star second team.
Whitman College sophomore Junpei Tsuji earned All-Northwest Conference honorable mention. Tsuji, a midfielder, started 18 of 19 games this fall.
The Issaquah High School graduate scored three goals and handed out three assists.
Issaquah girls soccer team blanked, 4-0, to end soccer postseason
November 15, 2011
FEDERAL WAY — Jenny Hoefel and the third-ranked Todd Beamer High School girls soccer team were in high gear from the start and never let off the throttle.
Hoefel, a junior forward, supplied two goals as the Titans handed Issaquah a 4-0 defeat Nov. 9 at Federal Way Stadium in a first-round Class 4A girls soccer state tournament game.
The Titans looked unstoppable while applying pressure and attacking on offense.
“We like to go the whole game. Especially me, I try to push myself the whole game and never stop,” said Hoefel, who has 18 goals this season. “We’ve brought all our talents together and play as a team and that makes us that much stronger.
“We just connected and kept that intensity up.”
Beamer blanks Issaquah girls soccer team, 4-0
November 10, 2011
NEW — 11:45 a.m. Nov. 10, 2011
FEDERAL WAY — Jenny Hoefel and the third-ranked Todd Beamer High School girls soccer team were in high gear from the start and never let off the throttle.
Hoefel, a junior forward, supplied two goals as the Titans handed Issaquah a 4-0 defeat Wednesday at Federal Way Stadium in a first-round Class 4A girls soccer state tournament game.
The Titans looked unstoppable while applying pressure and attacking on offense.
“We like to go the whole game. Especially me, I try to push myself the whole game and never stop,” said Hoefel, who has 18 goals this season. “We’ve brought all our talents together and play as a team and that makes us that much stronger.
Skyline wins KingCo girls soccer title in OT
November 8, 2011
Brooke Bofto (left), Skyline sophomore midfielder, heads the ball as Jocelyn Eng, Issaquah senior forward, tries to take possession during the first half of the KingCo 4A title game Nov. 1. By Christopher Huber
The game seemed to be in the bag for the Skyline High School girls soccer team, but a last-second Issaquah goal made the Spartans work a little harder Nov. 1 for the KingCo Conference 4A girls soccer title.
An 80th-minute, Issaquah goal stunned Skyline fans and players, but it didn’t take long for the Spartans to seal the deal in overtime.
Senior midfielder Sydne Tingey scored in the 83rd minute to lift the Skyline Spartans over the Issaquah Eagles, 2-1, to become KingCo champs for the second year in a row.
Tingey took a well-placed cross from Jordan Branch at about the 4-yard line, turned and shot left-to-right from the left post. It was her sixth goal of the season.
“It was so relieving. I was like, ‘I’m going to score this goal,’” Tingey said as her team celebrated its third KingCo 4A title in four years. “I just touched it, I kinda volleyed it and I shot it.”
Skyline finished the regular season 14-0-2 and is seeded No. 1 in District 2 heading into the state tournament. Issaquah (9-5-2) is seeded No. 2. The Spartans, ranked first in the state, hosted No. 8 Kentridge Nov. 8 in the first round of the state tournament. Issaquah plays No. 3 Todd Beamer at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at Federal Way Stadium.
It was a classic Skyline-Issaquah match-up.
“This was the kind of test quality teams have to pass,” Skyline head coach Don Braman said.
Former Issaquah High School soccer stars earn academic honors
November 8, 2011
NEW — 11:50 a.m. Nov. 8, 2011
Kate Deines and Kristin Maris, former standout soccer players for Issaquah High School, both have earned academic honors this fall for their respective college teams.
Deines, a senior midfielder for the University of Washington, was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII second team. Deines has a 3.73 grade point average and is a communications major.
Maris, a sophomore at Western Washington University, was named to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference academic all-star team. She has a 3.78 grade point average and is a physical education major.
On Oct. 29 Maris scored both Western goals as the Vikings defeated Western Oregon 2-0. She also had a goal when the Vikings defeated Saint Martin’s 2-0 Oct. 27.
Skyline outlasts Issaquah in KingCo title game
November 2, 2011
NEW — 9:45 a.m. Nov. 2, 2011
Yielding a goal with less than 30 seconds left in regulation stunned the second-ranked Skyline High School girls soccer team.
But it didn’t stop them.
Senior midfielder Sydne Tingey corralled a sweet cross from Jordan Branch to score in the 83rd minute as the Spartans turned back Issaquah 2-1 in overtime Nov. 1 in the KingCo 4A Conference championship match at Skyline.
The dramatic win gave defending champ Skyline (14-0-2) its fourth KingCo 4A title overall and third in four years. Both teams had already clinched state-playoff berths.
Liberty High School Patriots win girls soccer finale
November 1, 2011
The Liberty High School girls soccer team completed another unbeaten KingCo Conference 3A/2A season Oct. 27 when the Patriots overwhelmed visiting Interlake, 6-0.
Liberty, which had already won the league title, finished KingCo play with a 14-0 record. Interlake, which entered the game in second place, finished at 10-3-1.
The Patriots, 15-1-0 overall, advance to the Class 3A state tournament and will host a first-round game Nov. 9.
Senior forward Cassidy Nangle led the Patriots against Interlake. She scored a hat trick, becoming the third Liberty player this season to score three or more goals in a game. Nangle has 13 goals on the season.
Kailiana Johnson scored her 14th goal, which leads the Patriots.
Nicolle Marlow had two goals for Liberty.
Goalkeeper Macaire Ament recorded her ninth shutout of the season.
