All-America Watch List: Girls Defenders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Throughout the season, PrepSoccer.com 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. There will be additional players added to the Watch List in the upcoming weeks. From match observation, 2021 PrepSoccer.com accolades and coach recommendations, here are some names to know:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TOP ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(in alphabetical order with high school, year in school, college commitment - if any)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='22344' first='Lauren' last='Adam'], Noblesville (Ind.), Sr., Purdue</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As part of a soccer dynasty at Noblesville, Adam has been overshadowed by so many other Division I-bound offensive players. Now, the senior has a chance to shine. Through nine matches, Adam has played a key role in a defense that has not allowed a goal this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='26176' first='Avery' last='Brown'], Franklin (Tenn.), Sr., Mississippi</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown rolls into the high school season on the heels of being selected to the ECNL Ohio Valley first team. Franklin might have turned the corner after a so-so start with a 4-0 shutout of Brentwood last week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='25709' first='Audrey' last='Cain'], Academy of Notre Dame (Pa.), Sr., Rutgers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cain will spend time between midfield and outside back for Academy of Notre Dame. Last year, her play helped the team to a state runner-up finish, which was a major step up in this program. During Cain's freshman season, the team won only four matches. Now it figures to again challenge for the independent school state crown. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='25972' first='Piper' last='Coffield'], Mars (Pa.), Sr., Indiana</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The younger sister of Pitt starter Ellie Coffield, Piper is more than living up to the family hype. She's part of a loaded Mars lineup that is off to a 4-0 start with only one goal allowed. Coffield's father played football at Pitt and her mother played volleyball at Pitt, however, Piper is breaking the trend as she has committed to Indiana. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='24019' first='Isabella' last='Douglas'], Montclair Kimberley (N.J.), Sr., Boston College</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Douglas is a defender on the club scene and will be used in the back in high school, but Montclair Kimberley may require her talents up top this season. She scored 12 goals as a junior. We're starting her as a defender for this list, but that might change as the season progresses. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='25226' first='Lauren' last='Fields'], Mount Notre Dame (Ohio), Sr., Dayton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fields was the anchor in a defense that allowed only nine goals during a 21-0-1 showing in 2021. Interestingly, three of those goals allowed came in one contest. MND finished with 16 shutouts. MND is off to an undefeated start in 2022 and started the year as the FAB 50 No. 1 team, but a draw last week dropped the team from the top spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='22631' first='Kaeden' last='Koons-Perdikis'], Georgetown Visitation (D.C.), Sr., Duke</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Koons-Perdikis is coming off a season where she was named to the Washington Post All-Metro first team, a rare feat for an underclass player in the DMV. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='23762' first='Olivia' last='Lester'], Sierra Vista (Nev.), Sr., Gonzaga</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lester has helped Sierra Vista to three shutouts in its first four matches this season. She might be called on to be more involved in the attack this year as opposed to last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='33200' first='Maya' last='Loudd'], Tualatin (Ore.), Sr., Washington</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Loudd was the most coveted of the high school-playing Oregon defenders and a favorite to repeat as an all-state performer in 2022. All with five other all-league returnees, Loudd and Tualatin might be well-positioned to make a deep run into the Oregon 6A playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='22821' first='Caitlin' last='Mara'], Buckingham Browne &amp; Nichols (Mass.), Jr.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mara was a key defender in BB&amp;N's perfect 2021 season where the team allowed only two goals all season. Last year's squad was loaded with offensive senior superstars, so it might be up to the defenders this year if BB&amp;N is to repeat its 2021 success. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Alyssa Montgomery, Glacier Peak (Wash.), Sr., Washington</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season started last week in Washington, and Glacier Peak opened the season with a 2-1 win over perennially strong Snohomish. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='45329' first='Ava' last='Rightmire'], Downingtown West (Pa.), Sr., Penn State</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Downingtown West is off to a 4-1 start with only two goals allowed, and that's in part thanks to Rightmire. It's hard to believe that this major college prospect was only a second-team all-area pick last year. Each of the past few years, PIAA District 1 has featured a major college defender, and this year it's Rightmire.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Katherine Truitt, Lexington Catholic (Ky.), Sr., Kentucky</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After opening the season with a 3-0 loss to Sacred Heart, Lexington Catholic has strung together 12 straight wins and has allowed only six goals during that stretch. Truitt anchors the back but sometimes moves to forward, which accounts for the four goals and five assists she has on the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>ALSO</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='24252' first='Reagan' last='Amberson'], Pennington School (N.J.), Sr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='23751' first='Lindley' last='Amick'], Faith Lutheran (Nev.), Jr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='24389' first='Carolina' last='Benitez'], Kellenberg (N.Y.), Sr., Massachusetts</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='22567' first='Drew' last='Bernard'], Good Counsel (Md.), Sr., Maryland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Meaghan Bernetti, Archbishop Spalding (Md.), Sr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='28391' first='Riley' last='Carolan'], Bishop Blanchet (Wash.), Sr., Montana</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lexi Chatterton, Bishop Kelly (Idaho), Sr., Boise State</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kelsey Clay, Jackson Prep (Miss.), Sr., Mississippi State</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aracelli Cloutier, Bedford (N.H.), Sr., Providence</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='25211' first='Kaitlyn' last='Colvert'], Olentangy Orange (Ohio), Sr., Dayton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='25692' first='Anna' last='Croyle'], Pennridge (Pa.), Jr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='45350' first='Eliana' last='Davin'], Montour (Pa.), Sr., George Mason</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='23797' first='Abigail' last='Davis'], Hardin Valley Academy (Tenn.), Sr., Tennessee Tech</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='38321' first='Avery' last='DePiero'], Pingree School (Mass.), Sr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='33122' first='Daphne' last='Egelhoff'], Coronado (Nev.), Sr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Annabelle Ekern, Farragut (Tenn.), Sr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='25865' first='Kendall' last='Fabery'], Southmoreland (Pa.), Cleveland State</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='22732' first='Sydney' last='Feiler'], Mercy (Md.), Sr., Virginia Commonwealth</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eva Grunkemeier, Portland Jesuit (Ore.), Sr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='33229' first='Gwen' last='Howell'], Mars (Pa.), Sr., Richmond</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='55755' first='Ella' last='James'], Loveland (Ohio), Sr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='54960' first='Ravae' last='Jaramillo'], Hope Christian (N.M.), Jr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophia Jones, Nichols School (N.Y.), Sr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='27398' first='Dakota' last='Merino'], Syracuse (Utah), Sr., Louisana Tech</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Andi Miller, Lakeside School (Wash.), Sr., Yale</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='27468' first='Kya' last='Parke'], Fremont (Utah), Sr., Cal State Fullerton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='24586' first='Samantha' last='Payne'], Clarence (N.Y.), Jr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anna Pettit, Fishers (Ind.), Sr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olivia Prim, Father Ryan (Tenn.), Sr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='55188' first='Ava' last='Roberson'], South Oldham (Ky.), Sr., Murray State</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='54952' first='Joyce' last='Sanchez'], Cibola (N.M.), Sr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='25787' first='Emma' last='Stankunas'], Perkiomen Valley (Pa.), Sr. College of Charleston</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='25844' first='Julia' last='Thomson'], Springside-Chestnut Hill (Pa.), Sr., Illinois-Chicago</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='54113' first='Nadia' last='Zaborowski'], Noblesville (Ind.), Sr., Army</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->