By Denise Tucker
Bolivar Lady Liberators soccer enjoyed a banner 2016.
The squad won its first district title since 2009 in going 18-5 in Class 2, won sectionals before falling in the quarterfinal round, and had five players earn postseason honors.
So, how will the Lady Liberators build upon last season’s success – and do so with a move up to Class 3?
Coach Steve Fast doesn’t think his team, which returns most of its players, will be fazed.
“We already play several Class 3 schools during the season, so we should be prepared in that aspect,” Fast said. “We will just take one game at a time, no matter who the opponent or size of the school. We just want to improve as a team each time we step on the field.”
But when you talk about Bolivar girls’ soccer – as much as “team” is emphasized – you can’t ignore the X-factor – Brionna Halverson.
The senior collected the 100th goal of her career last season – a season that saw her score 57 goals and dish out 8 assists.
“She is highly skilled and her speed is tough to defend,” Fast said. “It is hard to score goals in soccer and if you have a player like her, who just has a natural knack for goal-scoring, it makes everything go a lot smoother for the team.”
Halverson, who will continue her playing career next year at Saint Louis University, also earned first-team all-Central Ozark Conference, all-district, all-region, all-state and NSCAA all-Midwest honors.
THE NEW O-ZONE APP IS HERE!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FOR APPLE
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID
But the impact she has on her team is more than just the numbers she puts up.
“She scores a lot of goals and is one of the top players in the state, but what I see every day is that she is teaching, motivating and inspiring her teammates to be better players,” Fast said. “She has such a huge heart and truly cares for her teammates on and off the field.”
Another key contributor to last year’s success is senior Grace vanHoornbeek. The center midfielder earned all-COC, all-district and all-region honors as a junior.
“Grace provides a strong presence in the center-mid for us,” Fast said. “She loves to pass and distribute the ball and plays with a lot of passion. She also has the ability to score, which is a nice bonus to her game.”
The Lady Liberators did lose two “impact starters” on defense to graduation – center-mid Nicole Lawson and center defender Hannah Sheppeck.
“Those two girls were blue-collar, hard-nosed-type players who just got the job done,” Fast said. “They were not the stars of the team, but were two we could always depend on to lead the team.”
But Bolivar does return a strong defense – including juniors Sarah Peterson, Michelle Gabani and Reaghan Lesh – which allowed only nine goals all season.
Peterson, an all-COC, all-district, all-region and second-team all-state selection, “leads the defense and keeps everyone marked and organized,” Fast said.
Gabani (all-COC, all-district, all-region, second-team all-state) “is a lock-down defender who usually marks our opponents’ top scorer.”
Lesh (all-COC, all-district, all-region, all-state honorable mention) had 16 shutouts and 9 goals against last season. “She is a tall and aggressive presence in goal,” Fast said. “She makes diving or leaping saves and understands the position very well. She is vocal and does a good job leading from the goal area.”
In addition, Bolivar will be looking to a junior, sophomore and a couple of freshmen to make an impact this season.
Paige Martin, sophomore midfielder, “was a solid freshman starter at outside-mid. I look for her to be a lot stronger this year and come in with a lot of confidence,” Fast said. “She also has a knack for the goal and we are hoping she can provide some goals for the team this year.”
Morgan McNew, a junior defender, changed positions last season, going from midfield to defense. “It took her a few games to learn the position and gain some confidence, but by the end she was a very solid defender for us and earned second-team all-conference,” Fast said.
“(Allee) Sheppeck and (Annie) vanHoornbeek are two players I expect to come in and make an impact as freshmen and provide quality depth for our team,” Fast said. “Both are aggressive and can play multiple positions. We look forward to working with these girls and figuring out where they can provide the most benefit for the team.”
The Lady Liberators kick things off with a jamboree at Lebanon on March 10, which includes Lebanon, Marshfield and Crocker. They open the season March 17 at Camdenton.
“Last season, this group achieved many milestones as a team and individuals,” Fast said. “It will be tough to top last season’s numbers, but I believe this team has the ability to do so. I believe we can play better offensively and defensively, but our No. 1 focus will be on the overall accomplishments of the team.”
