A stacked junior class highlights the 2016 All-O-Zone soccer team. Twelve of the 24 spots are filled with players from the Class of 2017, and many of those will go to on play Division II or higher soccer in college.
In terms of depth, it’s shaping up to be one of the best Classes the Ozarks has produced.
There were a lot of deserving candidates left off the list because I limited myself to 24 players, with an extra utility/reserve spot added to each team for fun.
Goalkeeper
Katie Hudson, Rolla, SR
Hudson has been the anchor of Rolla’s stellar defense over the past four years. A starter since her freshman year, Hudson is a three-time all-region and two-time all-state selection. Throw out a 3-0 sectional loss to nationally ranked Rockwood Summit and Hudson and Co. conceded a total of nine goals, and more than one goal in two matches this season: a 2-0 loss at Webster Groves (Class 3 No. 3 ranked) and a 2-1 loss at Jefferson City (Class 4 No. 10). Hudson oversaw 18 shutouts (a school record) this season, including a 1-0 win at Kickapoo that was the difference in Rolla claiming an outright league title. Hudson finishes her career with 59 shutouts (another school record) and now heads to play at Lewis & Clark Community College, the same JUCO former RHS star and current LSU player Nicole Howard attended. Said coach Mike Howard: “Katie is one of the best. We don’t give up soft goals with her in the net. She has had a great four years.” This year, Hudson was first team all-state in Class 3.
Defenders
Synopsis: Veterans mixed with youth; a good mix of strength, speed and skill in the back.
Annalee Arbeitman, Kickapoo, JR
By consensus, Arbeitman was the area’s top defender this year. She was named Class 4 second-team all-state, Class 4 Region 4 Defensive Player of the Year and Ozark Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Arbeitman was a backline linchpin for a Kickapoo squad that went 21-4-2 overall and registered 17 shutouts. Said Chiefs coach Phil Hodge: “(Arbeitman) is very hard-nosed on the ball and will not lose a 50-50 tackle.” Heading into her senior season, Arbeitman has committed to William Jewell.
Emma Bunselmeyer, Glendale, SR
A proven veteran among a relatively inexperienced group, Bunselmeyer became a de facto coach on the field for the Falcons this season. She was first-team All-Ozark Conference and first-team all-region (Class 3) for the second straight year. Despite Glendale having a down year by its standards, Bunselmeyer still received Class 3 all-state honorable mention. Contributing five goals and three assists from a defensive role, she was a team captain for Glendale. Said coach Jeff Rogers: “We played a tough schedule like always and this team got better and better every game, with Emma leading by example.” Bunselmeyer will play for Drury this fall.
Hannah Lannutti, Nixa, FR
Teaming with older sister and center back Brooke Lannutti, Hannah Lannutti formed a strong backline for Nixa as the Eagles recorded 13 shutouts this season. The younger Lannutti was one of just two freshmen named to the local Class 4 all-region team, Ozark’s Jadyn Easley being the other. Among all Class 4 All-Region players, Hannah Lannutti was one of just seven freshmen to receive such honors. In Nixa’s eventual season-ending quarterfinal loss to Lee’s Summit, she marked first team all-state sophomore forward Kayla Deaver and kept her from scoring.
Midfield
Synopsis: This foursome is sound every aspect of the game.
Emma Laney, Rolla, SR
Laney has been a stabilizing force on the field since she was a freshman. The four-year starter and 2016 Ozark Conference Player of the Year fills a variety of roles for the Bulldogs and her stats (14 goals, 10 assists) – which are still respectable – don’t quite reflect her overall impact on the team. Said coach Mike Howard: “Emma does it all for us. She really makes us go.” Laney’s play in the midfield helps RHS forwards Addy Brow and Morgan Gabriele thrive. Laney, who was named second team all-state in Class 3, has signed to play at Columbia College.
Brinn Cooper, Catholic, SO
Tall midfielders with great vision are always nice to have, and Cooper fits the bill. The Class 2 first-team all-state selection finished with 17 goals and 13 assists for a Catholic team that battled injuries throughout the season. Similar to Nixa alum and 2015 1 Awards nominee Alyson Galler (who started all 18 games her freshman season at William Jewell), Cooper directs Catholic’s offense and is a threat to score or set up a teammate any time she has the ball. Said Catholic coach Ben Timson: “She sees the field incredibly well and is a great leader on the field. She distributes the ball very well.”
Maya Davidson, Ozark, JR
Whether at forward or midfield, Davidson can make an impact. She posted a strong outing in her junior campaign, finishing with 30 goals and 17 assists for the Tigers’ high-powered offense. Davidson brings a physical presence to the game, which allows her to win balls in the air and out-work defenders for position in the box. As she showed in an eventual 2-1 loss to Kickapoo, Davidson’s also capable of placing pinpoint shots on frame, or finishing feeds from teammates Jaydn Easley and Mikayla Putt. Davidson’s 30 goals in 2016 nearly matched her previous two-year output (33). With 165 career points, Davidson now ranks 4th on Ozark’s all-time list. She’s 32 points behind older sister Morgan Davidson (197, No. 2 all-time) and 44 points behind Roxanne Rassti (209, No. 1 all-time). Maya Davidson was a second-team all-state selection in Class 4 this year.
Alyson Reinold, junior, Kickapoo, JR
With all this offensive talent, we need someone to orchestrate it all, and Reinold would be a good option. The Kickapoo junior was a Class 4 first-team all-state selection and received Class 4 Region 4 Co-Player of the Year honors. Reinold played midfield for Kickapoo in the past but primarily played forward this year, adding duties for free kicks, set pieces and corner kicks to her role. She finished with 17 goals and 8 assists for a Chiefs team that went 21-4-2 overall and beat multiple state-ranked teams.
Forward
Synopsis: So. Much. Speed.
Alex Johnson, junior, Nixa, JR
She became a premier player in the area this year. One of the Ozarks’ best finishers, Johnson delivered 27 goals and 11 assists as Nixa won its fourth straight district title. She’s been a varsity player since her freshman season, which is an impressive feat considering the college-level talent Nixa has fielded this decade. Johnson was named Class 4 first team all-state and Class 4 Region 4 Co-Player of the Year. Johnson also continues Nixa’s streak of 1 Awards nominees during the O-Zone era.
Jadyn Easley, Ozark, FR
Once the talented 2017 Class graduates, Easley is in line to become the area’s best player. She’s arguably Top 5 already and, had it not been for a “split-vote” situation with teammate Maya Davidson (a deserving candidate herself), Easley would be in the 1 Awards this year. Easley has an athletic and technical skill-set similar to Bolivar’s Brionna Halverson – both are speedy, shifty players that can work magic with the ball. Easley received Class 4 all-state honorable mention and Class 4 Region 4 Co-Offensive Player of the Year. She finished with 35 goals and 14 assists in her rookie season.
Brionna Halverson, Bolivar, JR (Player of the Year)
No player did more for her respective team than Halverson did for the Liberators in 2016. She has the speed, athleticism and technical skills to single-handedly torch and terrify opposing back lines, which she did often this year. Halverson’s numbers are staggering: 57 goals and 11 assists, including a hat trick in the team’s sectional win over Rogersville. She also scored the game’s only goal in Bolivar’s 1-0 win over Catholic in the district finals, which snapped the Irish’s streak of seven straight Final Fours. For her career, the three-time all-state selection and Saint Louis University commit has 108 goals and 24 assists.
Utility/reserve
Lexi Wapelhorst, Lebanon, JR
The Ozarks’ unofficial goal queen (at least among active players) had another spectacular season for the Yellowjackets in 2016. A 2015 1 Awards nominee, Wapelhorst finished with 37 goals and 19 assists this season. She holds the single-season (40) and career (115) goal records at LHS. The MidAmerica Nazarene commit has scored at least 35 goals in each of her three seasons with the Yellowjackets. Wapelhorst, who was all-state honorable mention in 2016 and 2015, scored two goals in Lebanon’s district title win over Parkview, helping the Yellowjackets win their first district title in program history. Wapelhorst, Carl Junction’s Callie Degani and Bolivar’s Brionna Halverson are presumably the only active local players with 100 or more career goals.
All-O-Zone Honorable Mention
GK – Ari Acuff, Kickapoo. A three-year starter for Kickapoo, Acuff posted 15 shutouts and a .5 goals against average in her junior season.
F – Alicia Cooper, Neosho. A junior, Cooper had 40 goals (second most amongst all local players) and 12 assists for the Wildcats.
F – Addy Brow, Rolla. The Ozark Conference Offensive Player of the Year had 33 goals and 7 assists in her junior season. She was named Class 3 all-state honorable mention.
F – Callie Degani, Carl Junction. The Missouri Southern commit was CJ’s leading scorer with 28 goals and 10 assists. A Class 3 All-Region selection, she finishes with over 100 career goals and owns the program record for single-season goals (32, 2015).
MF – Emily Jordan, Republic. Jordan was a star once again for a Republic team that won its third district title in program history and first in three years. Jordan, a junior who received Class 3 all-state honorable mention, finished with 35 goals and 15 assists. She’s a two-time All-Region selection.
MF – Daley Townsend, Nixa. Townsend is the latest to standout to come through Nixa’s college-bound pipeline. The SBU commit posted 8 goals and 6 assists in earning Class 4 All-Region honors.
MF – Mikayla Putt, Ozark. She completed Ozark’s stacked offensive trio. The Class 4 All-Region selection finished with 19 goals and 17 assists.
MF – Kira Wentworth, Carl Junction. Don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t judge players by their stats. How do you earn Class 3 all-state second team honors with only 5 goals and 8 assists? By being versatile and extremely, extremely active. Wentworth can play anywhere on the field – at a high level – and does the “little things” to help her team win that coaches love.
D – Jaiden Ellerbe, Central. Ellerbe has quickly become a proven veteran in Central’s backline in only two years. The sophomore earned Class 4 All-Region honors for the second straight year and has been named as her district’s top defender both years. A co-captain, she added four goals from a defensive position.
D – Andrea Gray, Catholic. On a Catholic team hammered by injuries, the Irish saw a key piece to their defensive future step up and shine this season. Gray was named Class 2 second team all-state. Said Irish coach Ben Timson: “She’s quick, very strong on the ball and very aggressive.”
D – Sarah Peterson, Bolivar. Along with GK Reaghan Lesh and fellow all-state defender Michelle Gabani, Peterson was a cornerstone for a Bolivar defense that posted 16 shutouts and yielded just nine goals all season. Peterson owns a rocket launcher for a leg and, when teams threatened on Bolivar’s end, she regularly cleared out the mess.
Utility/reserve – Morgan Gabriele, Rolla. Between Gabriele and Camdenton’s Natalie Schulte, this was a tough call for the final spot. Both are deserving players who had great seasons. One of five Rolla players to earn first team all-conference honors, Gabriele was a busy distributor all season. The junior had the highest assist total (27) of any player on this list and added 18 goals.
All-O-Zone breakdown, by school
Rolla: 4 (2 1st team, 1 2nd team)
Kickapoo: 3 (2 1st team, 1 2nd team)
Ozark: 3 (Two 1st team, 1 2nd team)
Nixa: 3 (Two 1st team, One 2nd team)
Bolivar: 2 (One 1st team, One 2nd team)
Catholic: 2 (One 1st team, One 2nd team)
Carl Junction: 2 (Two 2nd team)
Glendale: 1 (1st team)
Lebanon: 1 (1st team)
Republic: 1 (2nd team)
Central: 1 (2nd team)
Neosho: 1 (2nd team)
