2011 Recruit News

G. Peak regroups around two of the best

Standouts Gilbert and Leahy will help Grizzlies overcome graduation losses

By Mark Nelson
Herald Writer

Losing 10 senior players is usually a negative, but Glacier Peak High School girls soccer coach Melinda Torre sees plenty of positives heading into a new season. A state quarterfinal loss to Mercer Island cut short the Grizzlies' 3A tournament run, but with the return of seniors Brooke Gilbert and Malloy Leahy, Glacier Peak appears to be the team to beat in the realigned Western Conference 3A Division.
Gilbert, who has experience playing for the United States U-17 national team, and Leahy, a versatile University of Portland recruit, anchor a team ready for another go-around at the state tournament. "I think these kids are all business," Torre said of her team. "When they come to practice, they come to train. They train hard. They do what you ask."

A University of Texas commit, Gilbert used the national team experience to help guide her Glacier Peak teammates. A central midfielder for the Grizzlies, but a defender on other teams, Gilbert appeared in four matches -- starting two -- for the U-17s during a tournament in Argentina nine months ago. The U.S. went undefeated against the likes of Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. "It has really pin-pointed my game and how skilled I need to be," Gilbert said of the national team. "The trainings that I've been in with the high tempo, I'm able to bring it back and challenge my teammates to do the same."

Leahy, who was named to ESPN Rise Magazine's West Region preseason Starting 11 list, can play anywhere on the field. Torre used her in attack, but also in defense last season. Leahy is listed as a defender on the magazine's list, and said that's where she's most likely to play at Portland. "It's helpful for our coach because she can just put me wherever she needs to," Leahy said.

Torre, who guided Glacier Peak to a 16-5-1 record in 2009, has more roster flexibility heading into this season. "We had 10 seniors (last year)," Torre said. "Now we have more of a balance. It's all more balanced between our youth and not everyone is a senior."

"We have a lot of youth and I think we have really good leaders this year too," Gilbert said. "With that combination we'll just have a really hard-working team and skillful as well."

Coach Torre listed junior midfielder Shelby Stromerson and senior forward Sarah Desautels as two more players to keep an eye on this season for the Grizzlies. The coach, who played professionally in Germany after starring for the University of Washington, called Stromerson a "workhorse" and said Desautels has gained confidence in her attack up front. Sophomore goalkeeper Bailey Anderson is tabbed to be the starter, taking over for graduated senior Nicole Giovine.

After last season's tournament disappointment, Leahy said the loss to Mercer Island provides a bit of impetus for the team this season.
"I think we always want to better ourselves and our team is going to keep getting better in training and just come back harder than we did last year and be more prepared to go farther," Leahy said.

Prep soccer preview: Five players to watch

Malloy Leahy
Glacier Peak | Sr | Forward/Defender

Leahy, a University of Portland commit, netted 13 goals and six assists as a sophomore, following that up with a six-goal, four-assist campaign in 2009 as a junior. The versatile player has been used all over the field by Glacier Peak head coach Melinda Torre. In a winner-to-state 3A District 1 playoff game last season against Everett, Torre put the dependable Leahy in defense, instead of playing her in the attack. "I can push her out wide and she can have these long-ball services that are crazy long which is nice to get you out of pressure and to get crosses in from deep," Torre said. "For me the flexibility is pretty sweet."

Odd timing for your post. I just had been thinking about who would play the back four for the Pilots next year and saw Michelle O and Cloee in the middle, Kendall on the left, and wondered who on the right.

I was wondering the same thing last night. Jessica and Ellie have played a lot of minutes this year and as far as I can remember no one has had significant time on the field in either of those positions as a back up.

I've said before that I feel like Kassie has the tools to play outside if they don't get a star recruit out there. I wonder if they'd think about using her there.

Using available data and an assumption or two, I did some quick calcs and it looks like next year the majority of the team,>50%, will be composed of girls from the Pacific Northwest. (Up from 36% this year).

It makes sense to reqruit players who have been playing the same style of soccer growing up (Europeon/possession) that UP plays.

Should be a lot of fun for the hometown crowd too.

SoreKnees wrote:I've said before that I feel like Kassie has the tools to play outside if they don't get a star recruit out there. I wonder if they'd think about using her there.

I agree. She is a bit of a gambler which I don't think serves her well in the middle where mistakes can be costly. I think she might take an outside spot next year. I hope she can - she is fun to watch.

Kendall plays left d for the national team; so could be a candidate. Possible that Pilots will convert one of this year's FR class into an outside defender- Elli was a wide MF first season and Jess did not come to Merlo as a defender.

And there will be incoming FR like Ms Leahy keen to compete.

Or possibly Emma N or Molly K. Outside defenders are their postions.

Replacing Ellie and Jess is a big deal. They are so good ... but the pipeline looks primed for the Pilots with current and future players.

purple haze wrote:

Replacing Ellie and Jess is a big deal. They are so good ... but the pipeline looks primed for the Pilots with current and future players.

I agree it would seem to be a real challenge replacing those two great outside defenders.

But as you, ph, and others point out here as well, we seem stocked with players who could thrive at those spots early next year.

I look forward to a real Pilots' blowout to see who Garrett might put in those two back spots when it is safe to rest Elli and Jessica.

Wow!! here we are starting out the beginning of the '10 season an we are all ready talking about the '11 season!

i've stated before that i would like to see molly k redshirt because i think she is very talented at the outside back. she reminds me of brooke o'hanley for all of you old timers!!

ive always like emma, another jess, not quite as talented, but very very good! if we can redshirt these two, we are good. if not, we will still be very good.

I think FozzieWozzie is correct we (the PN) may be getting ahead of ourselves - 2011 is many moons away.

And there is still much soccer to watch and improvement to be made in 2010.

The key issue NOW is how fast the rest of the team comes up to the standards of the team's four horsemen - Sophie, Keelin, Jess, and Ellie.

From what I have seen in person and from what I can gleem from the stats, the team (as a whole) is not yet playing high quality soccer.

In my humble opinion, the (whole) team needs to clicking on all eight cylinders to ensure they can impose their will against Texas A&M, Stanford, and Cal (who is a talented, albiet dysfunctional team).

This is a team pride and team leadership (team captains) issue.

That's how they did it in 2005. They can can do it again now. Depending how bad they want it.

I'm sure the coaching staff is thinking about 2011, why not us? That's part of the fun of this site, endless speculation.

Hello A_Fan:

Outstanding point. Sometimes I lose sight of the real goal here - to have fun!

Thanks for getting me back on track.

-UJ-

No problem, just as long as you remind me when I forget the same thing!

We have plenty of time to talk serious about this year's team...Just check most of the posts, especially after matches.

2011? Heck I'd like to know who has committed to us for 2012. The more we bring in great future young talent, the more warm and cozy I feel about the future of "our" team.

Just to make you anxious, Portland is high on Isabelle Farrell's list along with UCLA and North Carolina. She is from Crossfire in the Seattle area, ranked #6 on Top Drawer and on the U-17 National Team. Parents want her at Portland!

irish78 wrote:Parents want her at Portland!

Let's hope that doesn't make her want to go to Southern California!

ESPN RISE starting eleven for the West include our future Pilots:

http://rise.espn.go.com/girls-soccer/articles/2010/08/10-West-preview.aspx

3 out of 4 of our published 2011 recruits in the top 11 of the Western Region?

Let me think on that for a few months...

Wait a sec...only one player from California? Something smells fishy about that...

South Dakota got snubbed -- typical!

No, FANatic. I'm a native Portland boy. It's just that in checking on how ESPN RISE defined the "West," I noticed S.D. was not represented and felt that mock anger was in order.

purple haze wrote:No, FANatic. I'm a native Portland boy. It's just that in checking on how ESPN RISE defined the "West," I noticed S.D. was not represented and felt that mock anger was in order.

Well, I have my own definition of regions that I use for purposes of identifying the regional playing pools within which teams play the predominant number of their games. I have five of them: Middle, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and West. This is the best I have been able to come up with for regional pools and is based on all games played from 2007 through 2009. I don't have the Dakotas in the West either. They're in the Middle.

(I did this because I know that, for RPI and other rating system purposes, it's very difficult to accurately rate teams from different playing pools in relation to each other. Teams from strong pools tend to be underrated and teams from weak pools tend to be overrated. Guess which pool is the strongest.)

I may be completely off the mark here, but I believe these recommendations ar submitted by the coaches of the various highschools that these players play for. One of the determining factors on this list is how active the hgh school coach is in promoting you player. I know this to be a fact in california. There are a number of very high level players that you do not see on this list that are going to your UCLA's stanford's. etc's. You would expect to see them on this list, correct???

Just some food for thought....