Ladyjackets earn top honors in the Lake Division

By ZENDA FARREL | Milton Independent Sports Writer


The Milton Varsity Ladyjackets were extremely well represented in the Lake Division soccer awards this season with seven players earning recognition for their performances on the field. Ashleigh Adams, Heather Little, Jessica Sperling and Michelle Nichols were named to the Lake Division First Team and Lauren Ball, Kaylyn Pelkey and Jordan Trombly made Second Team.

Lake Division First Team

Ashleigh Adams
Assistant Captain and 4-year varsity standout goal keeper for Milton was selected to the 2007 Vermont All State Team
Coach Doug Marek says, “Ashleigh is a very skilled keeper with great hands and feet. She anchored our defense and recorded 6 shutouts this season. Considered as one of the best keepers in the state, she recorded 144 saves while allowing only 16 goals in 16 games. Ashleigh is a quality goal keeper and will do very well at the next level. She is presently being recruited by many colleges and plans on playing at the next level. I am not surprised by the interest in her, and from the first time she played for me on U18, I knew she had the potential to play at the college level. I don’t think we’ve seen her best yet! Adams recently tried out for the Vermont Twin State Team in the Vermont State Senior Classic and if selected she will represent Vermont this summer in the 2008 Lions Cup against New Hampshire.

Heather Little
Captain and 4 year varsity player was selected to the 2007 Vermont All State Team and earned the award for MHS Most Offensive Player
Marek: “Heather is a very skilled player who has played just about every position for us over her four year career. She anchored our defense last year and this season moved to center midfield to lead our offense. She has great technical ability, skill with both feet, she is a very good play maker, has a hard accurate shot and tactical knowledge that makes her dangerous. Little, a great two way player, led by example both defensively and offensively, during her high school career. She finished this season with 9 goals and 4 assists. Heather has worked very hard in her four years here and has improved every aspect of her game since her freshman year. She is a very good all round soccer player and I know she can play at the next level!  Little also recently tried out for the Vermont Twin State Team in the Vermont State Senior Classic and if selected she will represent Vermont this summer in the Lions Cup.

Jessica Sperling
Junior and 3 year varsity center midfielder
Marek: “Jess helped anchor the midfield this season with both her offensive and defensive presence. She is a very skilled player with tremendous speed and technical ability. I can’t say enough about her - she is a work horse you can always count on. Injuries have made her career an up and down rollercoaster ride but she handled it very well emotionally. She is a very good defensive player and usually has the job of marking the opposing team’s offensive threat. She is dangerous offensively as well and generates much pressure with her play making ability. Jessica can play any position and will assume a big role on the team next season. She is a top level soccer player and I have no doubt that she will also play at the college level.

Michelle Nichols
Junior and 3-year varsity sweeper earned MHS Most Valuable Defensive player
Marek: “Michelle is one of the smartest defensive players in the state. Her vision with or without the ball made her one of the best defensive players in the league. This young lady really stepped up this year and dominated defensively for us. She has excellent foot skills; combine that with her vision and you’ve got a very solid sweeper. She’s just as good playing midfield or forward and it was very hard for the coaching staff to keep her on defense when we needed to score. In addition to her abilities, she is the epitome of a team player; always positive and willing to what’s best for the team. Michelle will definitely be a go to player as a senior next year! She is a great 3 sport athlete who has the ability to play at the next level.”

Lake Division Second Team

Jordan Trombly
Senior Assistant Captain and 4 year varsity defender earned the MHS Heart Award Varsity Girls' Awards
Marek says, “Heart says it all! Jordan plays with heart, emotion, determination and that never-give-up attitude every game. She is the type of player every coach loves, with an unbelievable desire to win. She was the player on the field who got her teammates pumped up before and during each game. She gave nothing but positive 100% energy and make no mistake about it, this young lady played hard! Jordan is an amazing athlete who helped to lead our team by example. It’s hard to find qualities like the ones Jordan possesses and we will miss her tremendous heart next season.”

Lauren Ball
Senior and 4 year varsity defender
Marek: “Lauren was a very consistent, solid and tough defender with the ability to make plays in tight spaces. She won most 50/50 balls and had the ability to play the ball out of a dangerous area. Lauren has always had great defensive skills and the ability to keep the opposing teams forwards to the outside. She is a total defensive package with the consistent precision required to move the ball out of the back to the midfielders.  She is a very gifted athlete who always came prepared and gave her all with a smile.”  

Kaylyn Pelkey
Junior and 3 year varsity center midfielder
"Kaylyn is a hard-nosed, offensive center midfielder with tremendous speed. She was second in scoring this season with 6 goals and 1 assist. What a work rate Miss Pelkey has - she plays wide open the whole game and it’s her tenacity that creates her offensive chances. She helped anchor the midfield this season with her offensive presence. Kaylyn not only wants to score, she needs to score and that burning desire is why she plays so hard. I can’t say enough about her effort and drive and her teammates fed off it. She has a very hard shot and the ability to score from a distance. Next season we will be looking for Kaylyn to find the net more often and continue to play a high tempo game at midfield. We know she will be ready!”

“Obviously these young ladies are a testament to the strength of our Milton High School Soccer program and we can all expect some to join the ranks of fellow MHS graduates currently playing like in college - Ann Minor, a 2005 graduate currently plays for Clarkson University; Samantha Nichols, a 2006 graduate plays for Eckert College and Kristin Marek, a 2006 graduate who has fully recovered from ankle surgery will play for Castleton State in 2007. The Ladyjacket tradition continues!,” said Marek.