By Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
The Virginia High School League has announced that Eastern Montgomery midfielder Maddie Bruce is the Class 1 women’s soccer player of the year, East Mont coach Whitney Shaver is the coach of the, and Auburn midfielder Chris Neal is the Class 1 boy’s soccer player of the year.
Bruce capped her junior season with two goals in the Mustangs’ 4-0 win over Auburn for their second straight state championship. 18-0 this spring, under Coach Shaver’s leadership, the Mustangs have won 32 straight games. Eastern Montgomery did not allow a goal in either the state semifinals or the finals.
Bruce finished 2022 with 27 goals and 36 assists and has 61 career goals and 59 career assists in just two seasons (COVID canceled her freshman season in 2020).
Sixteen players are selected first-team all-state and second-team all-state (four forwards, four
midfielders, four defensive players, one goalie, and three at-large from any position). Only those players selected to the first-team all-region teams are eligible for selection to the all-state team.
Each all-state selection committee is made up of eight soccer coaches (two from each region).
Eastern Montgomery placed nine players on the first team: Aija McHone, Madeline Mirolli, Lilly Underwood, Laken Smith, Morgan Bahnken, Nayda Hubbard, Mackenzie Kidwell, Logan
Boone and Bruce.
Auburn’s Katie Light and Katelyn Lafon were also named to the all-state first team. Eastern
Montgomery’s Yesenia Mercado and Hannah Blankenship were joined on the second team by Auburn’s Logan Mundy and Stacy Lewis.
The Virginia High School League has also announced its 2022 Class 1 All-State boys soccer team. Auburn senior midfielder Chris Neal is the Class 1 Player of the Year, and Galax head coach James Kohl is was named the Class 1 Coach of the Year.
Neal, who will play soccer at Mars Hill University (NC) in the fall, made 21 appearances for Auburn this spring, scored 22 goals, and had a school-record 15 assists. He finished his high school career with 32 assists.
First-year head coach, James Kohl, led Galax to a 14-8-2 overall record and a 2-0 win over Northampton in the Class 1 state finals.
