MIDDLEBURG - Every team dreams of making it to the post-season. And for this year's Midd-West boys soccer, girls soccer and field hockey teams, that dream was a reality.
But before the first minute the district tournament was played, members of all three teams, along with boys cross country runner Alex Lieberman and golfers Adam Winey and Blake Zechman, made a strong showing in the Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference.
This is evidenced no better than through the number of individual athletes who made the Heartland Conference all-star team in their sport.
For the boys soccer team, seniors Jake Keister, Austin Good and Colton Keister earned first-team honors across the field, as they were voted first-team forward, first-team midfielder and first-team defender respectively.
Jake Keister was a strong offensive threat for the Mustangs, and coach Chris Sauer said that Keister "scored many goals from his work and determination alone. No matter what, he always brought a high work rate and intensity to every game and practice."
Further back in the field was Austin Good, whom Sauer described as a "skilled and talanted midfielder."
Sauer explained that Good had strong field vision and was "very calm and confident with the ball at his feet."
At defender, Colton Keister was a leader of the team. Sauer said that not only did Keister always receive the most difficult defensive orders, but that he was a "strong, physical and very determined player."
If the boys soccer team made a strong showing in the Hearland Conference all-stars, the field hockey team wasn't far behind.
At midfield, Tricia Martin and Adrienne Gesselman both made the Heartland Conference second team. Martin moved from the position she had formerly started at as a sophomore, and Gesselman was a first year starter, but this didn't affect the impact both girls had on the team.
Coach Mandi Romig said that Gesselman "helped maintain offensive pressure on the right side," and that Martin demonstrated a "strong performance at a difficult position."
On the defensive end, Alexxa Dauberman won a second-team nod as defender, and Romig said she was very helpful in her ability to transition from the defense to the offense.
The Mustangs also had an all-star blocking the cage, as Mikayla Freed's six shutouts and 126 saves earned her a spot as second-team goalie.
Romig was very complimentary of Freed, saying that "(Mikayla) kept us in a lot of close games and gave us chances to win."
On the girls soccer team, seniors Allie Camp and Mikayla Beiler also made the all-star list.
Camp, whose 21 goals and eight assists helped her lead the team in points, earned the honor of making first-team forward.
Coach Russ Goodling said that Camp was "a very big contribution to our team." He also said that, in general, "if she didn't score, we didn't win."
But it wasn't just Camp who made this year's Mustangs stand out the the Heartland Conference - Mikayla Beiler also made a showing at second-team midfielder.
Goodling said the Beiler demonstrated strong leadership both on and off the field, and that she also aided the team in her ability to place the ball to Camp.
Rouding it out for the Mustangs, golfers Adam Winey and Blake Zechman earned first-team honors for their performance on the green, and harrier Alex Leiberman earned second-team honors for his strong running throughout the entire season.
