by Bea Peterson
Hoosick Falls Central School soccer standout Alice Hayden, a junior, was recently selected 2011 New York State Class C Co-Player of the Year. Tom Husser was selected 2011 New York State Class C Co-Coach of the Year. These are first time honors for the school. Additional honors were heaped on the team as Alice Hayden, Maritza Gonzalez, Meg McKee and Grace Delurey were selected All-State 2011 Players. Hayden was also selected Section II Player of the Year. “To have four girls selected from one team for All State Players is unprecedented,” said Husser. “It shows the kind of team we had.” Hayden, Gonzalez, McKee and Delurey were also elected Section II All-Stars. The Panthers won the State Class C Championship this year.
Wasaren League
In addition to the State and Section II honors, Alice Hayden and Maritza Gonzalez shared Wasaren MVP honors. Hayden, Gonzalez, McKee and Delurey also made the Wasaren League First Team. Liz Babson and Allie Martin made Second Team and Hanna Fricke, Mackenzie Hinchliffe and Rachel Pine received Honorable Mention. “Never before have nine players from one team received this many League places,” said Husser. “We can’t do any better.”
Husser added, “The school has been great. The community has shown us great support.” It began when the team left the school through a gauntlet of the entire student body to board their bus for the final four and concluded with the triumphant parade through town with fire trucks and car horns honking. “It’s something the girls will never forget,” said Husser. He noted the team has a great group of supportive parents; good parents, he said. “And the leaf doesn’t fall far from the tree; the kids are great kids.”
The girls soccer team is ranked Number One in NYS Class C. The league record is 14-1-1; 20-1-2 overall. Grace Delurey had 20 goals and 13 assists for the season. Meg McKee had 19 goals, 12 assists and set a new school record with 64 career goals. Alice Hayden had 6 goals, 11 assists, Maritza Gonzales, 8 goals and 12 assists. Liz Babson had five goals and 1 assist, and Allie Martin had 16 goals.
