The Eagles have landed

Sauk Prairie’s girls soccer team had a terrific season, winning the Badger Small Con-ference with a 6-0-1 mark. And the Eagles were justly rewarded, landing seven players on the all-Badger Small Conference team. Senior keeper Erelyn Apel was named the conference’s Player of the Year. Senior midfielder McKayla Paukner and junior defender Greta Shadewald joined Apel on the first team. Senior midfielder Ellery Apel and senior defender Ava Andres were named second-team all-conference, while senior forward Alexis Atkinson and junior midfielder McKenna Breunig were both named honorable-mention all-league. Erelyn Apel finished the year with 87 saves, 10 shutouts and an .890 save percentage. She also played in the field occasionally and finished the year with two goals and three assists. “Erelyn will go down as one of the most instrumental players in this program’s rise over the past four seasons,” Eagles coach Drew Kornish said. “Erelyn is a four-year starter in goal.  “Her leadership and skill drove us to the success our team was able to have this season. For her to be named as the Player of the Year in the Badger Small Conference as a goalkeeper speaks volumes about what she means to our team and the kind of player she is across our conference.” Paukner had a team-high 19 goals and 12 assists. She also added five game-winning goals, including tallies against McFarland and Madison Edgewood.  “McKayla’s season this year was her pinnacle season here at Sauk Prairie,” Kornish said. “Her skill and leadership made her one of the best players in the conference and our team the best team in the Badger Small.  “It was an absolute pleasure to have coached her the past three seasons leading up to this one. This season was an honor to be able to watch her lead.” Shadewald was a huge reason the Eagles allowed just 14 goals all year. She also added two goals and three assists during her sensational season. “Greta was a rock in our back line this season,” Kornish said. “Her ability to win the ball out of the air, as well as get us into the attack by her ability to stretch defenses with the ability to play a long ball made her a two-way player for us out of the back.” Ellery Apel was a jack-of-all-trades, finishing with three goals, five assists and the versatility to affect the game from anywhere on the field. “Ellery was our do-it-all player this season,” Kornish said. “She played nearly every position on the field — and even a brief stint in goal. Her work ethic on the field was unmatched. She really was the engine that drove us and the one we would call on to do the work that others were not willing to do.” Ava Andres was a terrific defender who often marked the opponent’s top player. She added two assists for good measure. “Ava will not show up on any stat sheets or scouting reports, but she silently did everything right this season,” Kornish said. “As a starting outside back and four-year starter, Ava has come a long way throughout her high school career. A solid defender that of-ten drew the assignment of the opposing team’s top striker, Ava’s ability to keep her cool on the ball and not over-complicate the game was unmatched.” Atkinson had a terrific final season with nine goals and an assist. “Alexis had a great season for us using her pace on the wing to really open up the game,” Kornish said. “She could often be found taking defenders on 1-v-1 in the wide channels and getting off chances on goal. Alexis also had a knack for playing in great set pieces off of corner kicks.” Breunig missed much of the year due to injury, but still managed to put up nine goals and seven assists in just 10 games “McKenna had a big chunk of her season lost to injury this year,” Kornish said. “We look forward to having McKenna back and healthy for her senior season where she will be expecting to lead the next generation of this program to continued success.”         All-Badger Small         Conference Soccer               First Team Name School Yr. Caitlyn Frank Baraboo 12 Sonoma Bever Edgewood 11 Lily Olson Edgewood 12 Ava Dean McFarland 12 Elise Freeman McFarland 12 Anya McKay Mount Horeb 12 Rowan Severson Mount Horeb 12 McKayla Paukner Sauk Prairie 12 Greta Shadewald Sauk Prairie 11 Addy Milota Stoughton 12 Erelyn Apel Sauk Prairie 12   Player of the Year — Erelyn Apel, Sauk Prairie, GK     Second Team Name School Yr. Faith Kappel Baraboo 12 Alana Johnson Edgewood 12 Makayla Foley Edgewood 11 Julia Purintun McFarland 10 Stella Blau McFarland 12 Gwen Motl Mount Horeb 11 Jadyn Schellpfeffer Mount Horeb 9 Mia Gronley Reedsburg 11 Ellery Apel Sauk Prairie 12 Ava Andres Sauk Prairie 12           Honorable Mention Baraboo — Hallie Kepple, Leah Hess Edgewood — Ava Ferree, Anneka Bouchard McFarland — Weiya Zhou, Emily Blattner Mount Horeb — Ella Fager, Addison Motl Portage — Anna Waisbrot, Lyla Brown Reedsburg — Madelyn Casey, Isabella Nobbe Sauk Prairie — McKenna Bruenig, Alexis Atkinson Stoughton — Kennedy Christensen, Ellah Ketelsen