Trio of Grafton standouts named to All-NSC first team; Port has two on second team

North Shore Conference coaches tapped into a youth movement when they cast their votes for all-league honors in girls’ soccer this spring.

And the Grafton Black Hawks were right there with the top award recipients.

Coach Don Arnold’s squads had three players — goalkeeper Alissa Viste, defender Hannah Knauer and midfielder Emma Fatla — named to the All-NSC first team and another, forward Hannah Eichler, chosen for the second team.

Among other local squads, Port Washington had two players — midfielder Bre McDonald and defender Mallory Mueller — chosen for the second team.

All of Grafton’s standouts are sophomores and Port Washington’s are juniors, underscoring a voting trend in which 19 of the 22 top honorees are underclassmen.

“There are a lot of young, talented players in the North Shore Conference, and the coaches recognized that,” said Arnold, who guided the Hawks to a fourth-place, 4-2-1 league record, a 20-6-2 overall mark and runner-up honors in the WIAA Division 2 state tournament.

A major key to Grafton’s success was its staunch defense, which produced a streak of seven shutouts entering the state quarterfinals.

Viste anchored the Hawks’ back line with quick feet and sure hands, posted 16 shutouts overall and allowed less than one goal per game.

“Alissa worked extremely hard in the off-season and built off what she accomplished last year,” Arnold said. “For her to make the first team in the North Shore as a sophomore goalkeeper speaks for itself.”

Knauer, Grafton steadiest defender, was usually called on to mark the opposing team’s top scoring threat and responded with an unrelenting approach.

“Hannah was the workhorse in the defensive midfield for us,” Arnold said. “She was phenomenal in her approach to the game.”

Knauer also showed her offensive skills by contributing two goals and four assists.

Fatla, another player known for her nonstop motor, sparked the Hawks’ transition game with 10 goals and nine assists.

“Emma was the one of the players everyone focused on for us,” Arnold said. “She was the anchor of our midfield.”

Eichler, who earned all-league second-team honors for the second straight year, led Grafton with 25 goals and had nine assists.

She teamed with sophomore Carley Pfannerstill, who received honorable mention in the coaches’ voting, to give the Hawks one of the area’s most dangerous offensive tandems.

“We were very lucky to have two young forwards who play so well together,” Arnold said. “Both of them can score but also create a lot of opportunities for their teammates.”

Pfannerstill had 13 goals and was the Hawks’ top playmaker with 13 assists.

“Carley has really improved since last year,” Arnold said. “Her assist numbers show how valuable she is to our team.”

Grafton’s Audrey Dickmann, a freshman defender, also received honorable mention. A versatile player, she used speed and tenacity to help steady the Hawks’ back line.

“As a freshman sweeper, she faced a lot of pressure and handled it very well,” Arnold said. “Audrey reads the game well and was a huge asset back there.”

Port Washington was winless in conference play (0-7) and just 2-11-1 overall but received solid leadership from McDonald and Mueller. The pair were key contributors on an offensively challenged squad that continued to improve.

McDonald, one of the Pirates’ co-captains, “was really a playmaker and a tremendous worker,” Port coach Sean O’Brien said.

Mueller earned a reputation as “one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the conference,” O’Brien said.

“There was no give-up in Mal. Even when she was hurt, she never wanted to come out of the game.”

McDonald and Mueller are among nine juniors on a Port team that will lose only four players, including one starter, to graduation.

CG-B’s Ansay, Ozaukee’s Lapinski lead local stars in All-Central Lakeshore voting

Top talent and title contenders go hand in hand, so it’s no surprise that the Cedar Grove-Belgium and Ozaukee girls’ soccer teams are well represented in coaches’ voting for this year’s All-Central Lakeshore Conference honors.

Cedar Grove-Belgium, which shared the league crown with Howards Grove before relinquishing the title due to a rules infraction, had four players named to the top two All-CLC teams. Midfielder Taylor Ansay was a unanimous choice for the first team, and midfielders Hannah Kaul and Rachel Slotman and goalkeeper Kristen Slotman were named to the second team.