Phenomenal freshman: Wasilla athlete named NLC’s top player

WASILLA — As he prepared for the 2017 season, Wasilla High girls soccer head coach Patrick O’Neill knew his incoming freshman class had a couple of players with the ability to make an immediate impact.

One in particular exceed all expectations, and was recognized Friday by the Northern Lights Conference.

Wasilla freshman Reese Sande was named the NLC Girls Player of the Year.

“I’d heard she was good, but I didn’t have any idea she’d step into this level and be this good,” O’Neill said.

Sande, who helped lead the Warriors into the NLC girls’ title game, scored a school-record 34 goals as a freshman.

“I’ve never seen anything like it coming in as a freshman,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill said Sande has the athletic combination of speed and power, but also has the instinct to be a natural goal-scorer in the sport.

“Physically, she’s so strong, so quick, so fast,” O’Neill said. “She has such a great shot. She’s got a nose for the net.”

Sande also brings more than just the ability to score goals O’Neill said, noting the freshman’s 10 assists.

“It shows she’s a complete player,” O’Neill said.

Sande is one of three Warriors to earn first-team All-NLC honors on the girls’ side, joining seniors Ally Hull and Alia Donley.

O’Neill credited Hull with her ability to taken on a different role with emerging you scorers on the squad, such as Sande.

“I’d like to give her an assist on getting (Sande) this award,” O’Neill said of Hull, who set a school record with 21 assists this season. “She accepted the role I asked her to play. Distribute the ball with all of the offensive players we’ve got.”

O’Neill said Hull is also worthy of consideration for the top honors, but Sande’s 34-goal season is hard to ignore.

Colony’s Jeremy Johnson also earned one of the conference’s major awards. Johnson, the Colony boys’ head coach since 1995, also became the head coach of the girls’ program prior to the season. Friday, Johnson was named the NLC Girls Coach of the Year.

“I was very surprised,” Johnson, who has been named NLC Boys Coach of the Year four times during his career, said. “It was nice to get the recognition, being a first-year coach on the girls’ side. It’s also nothing that’s expected. I was surprised, but it was very nice.”

Colony landed four players on the first team. Senior Sahara Iverson, junior Mykaela McMullen, sophomore Gabby Wakaliuk and freshman Maddie Wakaliuk all earned first-team honors. Senior Aspen Ruth was named first-team All-NLC for Houston, which made its first appearance in school history in the NLC tournament.

On the boys’ side, Colony also placed three players on the first team. Junior Cade Johnstone, and sophomores Kyle Dearborn and Noah Krozel were named first-team. Augustine Mendoza was named first-team for Wasilla.

Wasilla’s Abby Crawford, Alexis Friesen and Shayla Donley; Colony’s Maddy Zmuda, Ashlynn Cornelison and Jana Jenkins; Houston’s Cassie Kapuniai and Denali Whitted; and Palmer’s Avery Parker and Kiley Fish were named second-team all-conference for the girls.

Colony’s Martin Jones, Sullivan Menard and Caleb Covington; Wasilla’s Villi Savchuk and Eric Kolosov and Palmer’s Johnnie Burton were all named to the second team for the boys.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

All-Northern Lights Conference

Girls Player of the Year: Reese Sande, Wasilla

Girls Coach of the Year: Jeremy Johnson, Colony

Boys Player of the Year: Zack Tuttle, Kenai

Boys Coach of the Year: Joel Reemsta, Kenai

Girls first team:

Amy Hatter, Grace Christian; Madison Wakaliuk, Colony; Ali McLarron, Homer; Rebecca Miller, Kenai; Aspen Ruth, Houston; Alia Donley, Wasilla; Maddy Morgan, Grace Christian; Esmerelda Lopez, Kodiak; Mykaela McMullen, Colony; Ally Hull, Wasilla; Gabby Wakaliuk, Colony; Abi Tuttle, Soldotna; Sahara Iverson, Colony; Reese Sande, Wasilla.

Boys first team:

Eli Sheridan, Soldotna; Julio Rodriquez, Kodiak; Caleb Wood, Grace Christian; Alex Montague, Soldotna; Simon Dye, Homer; Tristan Landry, Kenai; Augustine Mendoza, Wasilla; Luke Beiser, Kenai; Cade Johnstone, Colony; Charles Rohr, Homer; Maxwell Dye, Kenai; Noah Krozel, Colony; Kyle Dearborn, Colony; Zack Tuttle, Kenai.

Girls second team:

Kiley Fish, Palmer; Megan Pitzman, Homer; Brenna Eubank, Kenai; Ryann Canowa, Soldotna; Abby Crawford, Wasilla; Samantha Morse, Kenai; Avery Parker, Palmer; Alexis Friesen, Wasilla; Ashlynn Cornelison, Colony; Lara Creighton, Kenai Madison Zmuda, Colony; Journey Miller, Soldonta; Jana Jenkins, Colony; India Otto, Grace; Kim Schaezlein, Grace; Shayla Donley, Waislla; Cassi Holmes, Kenai; Denali Whitted, Houston; Jodie Richey, Wasilla; Holly Makar, Grace; Cassie Kapuniai, Houston.

Boys second team:

Martin Jones, Colony; Oliver Beck, Homer; Paul Kopp, Grace; Braydon Goodman, Kenai; Kevin Ramos, Kenai; Caleb Hall, Colony; Johnnie Burton, Palmer; Addison Downing, Soldotna; Charlie Menke, Homer; Caleb Covington, Colony; Kevin Leach; Villi Sauchuk, Wasilla; Aaron Deleon, Kodiak; Sullivan Menard, Colony; Yasent Oliver, Kodiak; Miles Belanger, Grace; Eric Kolosov, Wasilla; Connor Merriner, Grace.