NEK – More than a few area athletes were recognized for outstanding play on the pitch this past season with girls All-Mountain League selections and honors last week.
Hazen Union’s Isabelle Gouin put a cherry on top of an outstanding career by not only being selected as a First Team selection, but also being named Mountain League Co-Offensive Player of the Year. The 2024 Vermont All-State selection posted her second consecutive 20-goal season for the Lady Cats this past fall, on her way to becoming the all-time goal scorer in school history with 56.
Gouin broke Kaitlyn Forant’s record of 54 goals, which stood for 17 years.
Sharing the honor as top offensive player in the Mountain League was Ava Francis. The star forward scored the game-winning goal to lead her Vergennes team to a Division III state championship over the weekend.
Joining Gouin as First Team selections were teammates Brianna Holbrook and Taylor Thompson.
Holbrook finished up her career last month with another outstanding performance on the back line for the Lady Cat defense.
Thompson earned her third consecutive First Team selection after anchoring the midfield for Hazen, leading them to an 11-win season. The 2024 Vermont All-Stater recorded her first career hat-trick this past season and is primed to be a scoring force for the Lady Cats in her senior campaign.
Caledonia United was in a rebuilding year this past season, but the outstanding play of Cora Abetti, Eliska Siebenbrunner and Sarah Austin earned them a home playoff seed and Mountain League First Team selections. Abetti was a force in the middle of the field, Austin was versatile on the back line and Siebenbrunner was one of the top keepers in the Mountain League before breaking her finger late in the season. Siebenbrunner returned from injury after missing only one match, recording two goals and two assists in the field. The versatile junior will be a key piece to a young and developing Cal United team next season.
Rounding out First Team selections were: Oxbow’s Natalee Spear, Ainsley Smith and Brianna Marsh; Richford’s Adison Chagnon and Mia St. Pierre; Winooski’s Eliza Willis and Bora Kashindi; Enosburg’s Kallie Morill, Jorja Kinney and Vienna Wilde; Blue Mountain’s Kennedy Perrigo, Addison Murray and Lily Roy; Ashtin Stearns, Adrienne Smits, Faith McAllister and Sophia James of Vergennes; Lilliana Fournier of Missisquoi Valley; Cailin Macaulay of BFA-Fairfax and Paine Mountain’s Hannah Spencer.
Hazen’s Julia des Groseilliers, Kelsie Rivard and Mya Lumsden, along with Cal United’s Jaidyn Carson, Phoebe Crocker and Lauren Pecor earned Mountain League Second Team honors. Honorable Mention selections went to Hazen’s Autumn Dailey, Ella Renaud and Marina Smith, along with Cal United’s Peyton Winn.
All-Mountain League Defensive Player of the Year honors went to Natalee Spear of Oxbow. Mountain League Keeper of the Year went to Enosburg’s Jorja Kinney and Oxbow’s Shannon Gould was named Mountain League Coach of the Year.
