All-America Watch List: Girls Defenders

Throughout the season, PrepSoccer.net will focus on the top candidates for the PrepSoccer All-America honors. Today, we check out the leading girls defender candidates for fall-playing states. Admittedly, sizing up defenders during the season can be difficult -- example: how much of the team’s success is directly due to that player relative to the rest of the supporting cast? But in any case, from match observation and coaches recommendation, here are some names to know. <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">TOP ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATES</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">(in alphabetical order)</span></strong></p> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24597" first="Sonoma" last="Adams"], St. Anthony’s (N.Y.), Sr., Dartmouth</strong> Adams has led a defense that has surrendered only four goals in a 13-0 start this season.She was listed as one of the top players on Long Island last month by Newsday. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22428" first="Natalie" last="Bain"], Notre Dame Academy (Ky.), Sr., Xavier</strong> You have to love a defender who has scored more goals than her team has allowed. That’s the case with Xavier-bound Bain, who has scored four goals and has four assists while anchoring a defense that has allowed only three goals en route to a 23-0-1 season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24314" first="Taylor" last="Brennan"], Council Rock North (Pa.), Sr., Michigan</strong> The Michigan-bound defender played a key role in Council Rock North’s 1-0 shutout of state No. 1 Pennridge 1-0 last week. Council Rock North is riding a six-match win streak with four shutouts during that run. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23961" first="Emily" last="Chico"], Ramapo (N.J.), Sr., South Carolina</strong> The South Carolina commit is the defensive star on a team loaded with top-end talent. Ramapo has allowed only five goals en route to an 11-0 start. She has scored a goal and assisted on two. Since Ramapo has other major college recruits on the field, Chico can focus on her defensive role without needing to move up the field. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25960" first="Olivia" last="Curry"], Spring-Ford (Pa.), Sr., Wisconsin</strong> The reigning local Player of the Year, an oddity for a defender, is back for Spring-Ford, but the team isn’t having the type of season it had last year when it reached the PIAA 4A state semifinals. Right now, Spring-Ford is battling just to make it to the District 1-AAAA playoffs. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25226" first="Lauren" last="Fields"], Mount Notre Dame (Ohio), Jr.</strong> Take away a wild 5-3 win over rival St. Ursula and Mount Notre Dame has surrendered only five goals this season en route to a 12-0-1 start. Like many top prospects, Fields, a defender on the club scene, can play in the midfield but she is especially dangerous on corner kicks and other set pieces. She’s scored a number of header goals this season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22462" first="Kendal" last="Guzzardo"], Assumption (Ky.), Sr., Cincinnati</strong> The Cincinnati commit was a standout performer at the Zionsville Lady Eagle and has anchored a defense that has surrendered 19 goals during a 14-4-2 season to date. Guzzardo occasionally can push up to midfield and she has five assists this year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="20881" first="Mary" last="Lundregan"], St. Joseph (Conn.), Sr., Dartmouth</strong> Entering this week, St. Joseph was 11-0 with only three goals allowed. Lundregan, like many elite club defenders who play high school soccer, might spend more time in the midfield than as a defender, but we’re still listing here for the time being. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22961" first="Molly" last="Martin"], BB&amp;N (Mass.), Sr., Penn State</strong> OK, admittedly, this might be a stretch to place Matin as a defender. She’s likely to play in the midfield for a loaded Buckingham Browne &amp; Nichols team this fall. The preps are the last to get started, so Martin’s season is just a couple weeks old. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="28278" first="Kira" last="Prologo"], Eastlake (Wash.), Sr., Florida and [player_tooltip player_id="28317" first="Maia" last="Tabion"], Eastlake (Wash.), Sr., Columbia</strong> Eastlake is off to a 10-1 start and a pair of major college prospects are to thank. Eastlake has yet to allow more than a goal in a match while playing in what is the strongest conference in the state. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="24426" first="Emma" last="Romano"], Syosset (N.Y.), Sr., Navy</strong> With three shutouts in its last five matches, Syosset’s defense is starting to come together as the team enters the second rotation of league play. Romano, a club defender, is showing a bit more in the midfield this season and has seven assists. <strong>Others</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="22344" first="Lauren" last="Adam"], Noblesville (Ind.), Jr., Purdue [player_tooltip player_id="29349" first="Bianca" last="Cardano"], Minnechaug (Mass.), Sr., Massachusetts [player_tooltip player_id="24552" first="Mirann" last="Gacioch"], Nichols School (N.Y.), Sr., Ohio State [player_tooltip player_id="20831" first="Gabriela" last="Gonzalez"], Staples (Conn.), Sr., Cornell [player_tooltip player_id="29382" first="Elizabeth" last="Jaraczeski"], C.M. Russell (Mont.), Sr., Idaho State [player_tooltip player_id="22441" first="Audrey" last="King"], South Oldham (Ky.), So. Morgan Peters, Noblesville (Ind.), Sr., Wisconsin-Green Bay [player_tooltip player_id="22408" first="Tamara" last="Smith"], Carmel (Ind), Sr. CeCe Scott, Peters Township (Pa.), Sr., Duquesne [player_tooltip player_id="29339" first="Hadley" last="Snyder"], Assumption (Ky.), Sr., Louisville [player_tooltip player_id="29333" first="Maddie" last="Swingle"], Mount Vernon (Ind.), Sr., Cincinnati [player_tooltip player_id="22624" first="Jordan" last="Townsend"], Liberty (Md.), Sr., Navy