Several talented soccer players from Northwest Indiana have a chance to showcase their skills on a big stage on Saturday.
For some outgoing seniors, the chance to represent the Region in Saturday's second annual PostYourT.org East vs. West All-Star Soccer Games at Crawfordsville High School may be the last time they play organized soccer. For others, it will be an important tuneup for college games.
Chesterton defender Shay Masterson is looking forward to the opportunity to play with teammates Annie Thieling and Megan Behrendt one more time before they graduate.
"I'm excited," Masterson said. "It's just an honor to get to play and it should be fun."
Thieling, a Trojans team captain, did not make the All-District team and isn't playing collegiate soccer.
"It's exciting because this is my last time to be able to represent Chesterton," she said. "But it's also sad because it's my last time (playing soccer). It's an honor for Chesterton to have three girls on the All-Star team and to just keep playing."
Along with Masterson, Thieling and Behrendt, the 4A All-Star team will consist of Lake Central's Ashley Doreski, Brooke Polus and Kaley Marcinak. First-year L.C. coach Lori Moore-Smith will take the reins as the 4A team's coach.
"I think it's going to be a lot of fun coaching the All-Star team," Moore-Smith said. "I'm very excited to take that role. If I wasn't coaching the team, I'd be there on the sidelines (cheering them on)."
With Moore-Smith as the coach, Doreski is looking forward to the familiarity of having her on the sidelines. It's also a chance for the All-District forward to represent Lake Central again after a heartbreaking, 2-1 sectional semifinal loss to Crown Point ended her season.
"It's kind of a relief because (Moore-Smith) knows how we all play," she said. "I'm looking forward to putting on a jersey and playing for Lake Central."
Doreski, a team captain for the Indians this season, knows the All-Star game will be an important test for her to play against other talented seniors from around the state as she prepares for her collegiate soccer career at IUPUI in the fall.
"This is very important as a practice game," Doreski said. "I'll see how much stronger I need to get and how much I need to improve in the offseason to keep up with what I need to do (at IUPUI)."
PREP SOCCER
Second annual PostYourT.org East vs. West All-Star Soccer Games
Where: Crawfordsville High School.
Tickets: $10 for all-day pass (for seven games).
Saturday's schedule (all times Region)
9 a.m.: 1A/2A girls game
10:30 a.m.: 3A girls game
Noon: 4A girls game
1:30 p.m.: 1A boys game
3 p.m.: 2A boys game
4:30 p.m.: 3A boys game
6 p.m.: 4A boys game
Region All-Stars
Boys
4A West: Cole Galloway (Chesterton), Ricky Gagnon (LaPorte), Jesus Flores (LaPorte), Jose Osornio (LaPorte), Antonio Gomez (Lowell) Drue Staples (Lowell).
3A West: Matt Plawecki (Griffith), John Cantor (Griffith), Nick Bobowski (Griffith).
2A West: Thaddeus Wlekinski (Bishop Noll), Alberto Anguiano (Bishop Noll), Chris Lorenz (Bishop Noll), Brandon Salazar (Bishop Noll), Quinn Cloghessy (Bishop Noll), Matthew Malone (Boone Grove), Mitch Aguilera (Boone Grove), Ben Solano (Boone Grove).
1A West: Zak Sipich (Kouts)
Girls
4A West: Megan Behrendt (Chesterton), Annie Thieling (Chesterton), Shay Masterson (Chesterton), Ashley Doreski (Lake Central), Brooke Polus (Lake Central), Kaley Marcinak (Lake Central)
3A West: Megan Macak (Griffith), Sara McInerney (Griffith), Raquel Mazur (Griffith), Emily Young (Kankakee Valley), Kristen Hanlon (Kankakee Valley), Mallory DeFries (Kankakee Valley), Tessa Wisdom (Kankakee Valley), Marissa Butler (Kankakee Valley).
1A/2A West: Mary Kieffer (Boone Grove), Anna Ridder (Covenant Christian), Natalie Goetz (Hanover Central), Ashley Schmal (Hanover Central), Erica Pauer (Hebron), Alexandria Lau (Hebron), Shelby Woudema (Kouts), Anna Salyer (M.C. Marquette), Laney Martin (Washington Twp.).
