Warsaw’s Isaiah Lara was one of over a half dozen Tigers to be named to the 2021 All-Northern Lakes Conference boys soccer list. InkFreeNews file photo by Dalton Tinklenberg

By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews

GOSHEN – The 2021 boys and girls soccer seasons have come to a close for the Northern Lakes Conference, and with it, the conference has released its All-NLC awards for both sports.

Warsaw Boys Back On Top

After a tough year in 2020 that saw sanctions hinder its season, Warsaw boys soccer returned to the top of the standings in 2021, going 6-0-1 to win the title outright. The Tigers had six named All-NLC in Dennis Hernandez, Roberto Sanchez, Noah Van Puffelen, Javier Enciso, Miles Burkholder and Ashton Wade. Accordingly, Isaiah Lara, Julian Saldivar and Rylan Smith were all named Honorable Mention All-NLC and coach Ryan Burgher earned his first career NLC Coach of the Year accolade.

Concord was 5-1-1 and a game back of Warsaw for second. The Minutemen had Andres Dixon, Derek Gomez, Austin Walters, Gavin Miller and Gadiel Montiel all named All-NLC and both Parker Curtis and Jamie Barajas named Honorable Mention.

NorthWood (3-4) had Joey Eshelman and Michael Hahn named All-NLC and Dom De Freitas named Honorable Mention.

Wawasee (0-7) had Reuben Camargo named All-NLC and Isaac Hodges named Honorable Mention.

Wrapping up All-NLC were Connor George of Mishawaka (1-6), Carlos Casteneda, Edgar Mora, Kovan Drenth and Emmanuel Diaz of Goshen (4-2-1), Roberto Aguilar, Zach Truitt and Jose Rosas of Plymouth (4-3), and Micah Wieland, Noah Zmuda and Diego Campos of Northridge (3-3-1).

Honorable Mentions went to Alex Valdez and Manith Kalamakanth of Goshen, Selvin Pajoada of Plymouth, Isaiah Tallman of Northridge and Josiah Simpson of Mishawaka.

Tigers, RedHawks Share The Spotlight

Goshen rose to the top of the NLC standings for the first time since 2014 and split the crown with Warsaw. Both teams finished 6-1 overall.

Warsaw and Goshen each had five named All-NLC, the Tigers with Corissa Koontz, Sam Aalbue, Jordan Love, Rylee Burns and Zoe Bergan, and the RedHawks Alessandra Lozano Gomez, Miram Ruiz-Sanchez, Natalie May, Olivia Bontreger and Abril Diaz. Each also had three Honorable Mentions, the Tigers with Megan DeBoest, Kiersten Parker and Macy Wayne, the RedHawks Andrea Diaz, Yulissa Gallegos and Yatrizy Martinez.

Additionally, Goshen’s Myron Bontreger was tabbed as the girls soccer Coach of the Year.

Northridge also had just one loss, but two ties to Plymouth and NorthWood cost the Raiders a point and landed them third at 4-1-2 overall. The Raiders had Anna Ryman, Kelsie Long, Kendal Weaver and Tess Baylis all as All-NLC and Kylie Tesman and Cydel Miller as Honorable Mention.

NorthWood (3-3-1) had Carly Mast, Caitlin Knepp and Arianna Topping named All-NLC and Lizzie Hilderbrant named Honorable Mention.

Wawasee (0-7) had McKenzie Long named All-NLC and Courtney Cox named Honorable Mention.

Wrapping up All-NLC were Franny Parks of Mishawaka (2-5), Emily DeFeeese and Katherine Lopez Cruz of Concord (3-4) and Aubrey Vervynckt, Julia Kinney and Lauren Rumpler of Plymouth (2-4-1).

Honorable Mentions went to Alexis Rose of Plymouth, Ashley Lopez Cruz of Concord and Skylar Kempf of Mishawaka.